Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México comprises several institutes
and research centres all over Mexico, some of which are active in
renewable energies matters and in particular in bioenergy. The Centro de
Investigaciones en Ecosistemas (CIEco) is a research centre of UNAM
which works on scientific research, human resources training and
knowledge spreading to the society. The Bioenergy Laboratory in CIEco
deals with three main research lines, in close cooperation with national
and foreign institutions: forest and climate change, bioenergy and
sustainability assessments. Its most important tasks in bioenergy interdisciplinary research
concern the utilisation of biomass as
an energy source, the global consequences of forestry management and conditions
for its sustainable use.
UNAM’s scientists have conducted extensive research on bioenergy,
forest management and land-use change processes, as well as
comprehensive case studies on biofuel demand-resource potentials and
their potential impacts on forests. UNAM coordinated the latest Mexican
National Forest Inventory and Greenhouse Gas Inventory and also holds
the coordination of the Mexican Network on Bioenergy, which includes
institutions and persons from technical, business and policy areas. UNAM
has also participated in the last four major reports of the IPCC,
including the coordination of chapters in the Special Report on Land
Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (2000), Good Practice Guidance for
Land-Use, Land-Use change and Forestry (2003), and the Fourth Assessment
Report (2007).
The Laboratory also performs studies on local, regional and national
fuelwood use patterns and their health and environmental implications,
and develops integrated technology and forest management alternatives
aiming at the sustainable use of biofuel resources.
CIEco-UNAM has been commended for its work in favour of sustainable
development in rural communities:
First Award Premio Ford a la Conservación (2000): 'Sustainable fuelwood use in Pátzcuaro’s Lake Basin', awarded by
the Ford Motor
Company.
First International Award on Renewable Energy (2006): 'Efficient fuelwood Patsari stoves', awarded by
the Ashden Foundation.
Dr. Omar Masera Cerutti was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as member of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007
UNAM also has extensive experience in the field of international
technology cooperation and participation in biofuels studies and
projects:
LAMNET: Latin America Network on Bioenergy (INCO Project). LAMNET focuses on the promotion of small- and medium-scale
decentralised bioenergy and biofuel systems and the large-scale
implementation of bioethanol production based on sugar cane and
other suitable biomass resources. (www.bioenergy-lamnet.org)
CASFOR I : Carbon Sequestration in Afforestation and Sustainable
Management. The model CO2FIX Ver 2.0 was co-developed and it is
currently in use in more than 70 countries worldwide for estimating
the carbon balance and carbon sequestration capacity in forests. (www.efi.fi/projects/casfor)
CASFOR II: Modelling Carbon Sequestration in Forested
Landscapes. The model CO2FIX was updated including bioenergy module
and CDM module. CO2FIX Ver 3.2 and CO2Land were finished. (www.efi.fi/projects/casfor)
COMPETE: Competence Platform on Energy Crop and Agroforestry
Systems for Arid and Semi-arid Ecosystems-Africa. UNAM is
responsible for RTD on bioenergy in developing countries and
facilitates South-South technology and information exchange. (www.compete-bioafrica.net)
BIOTOP- Biofuels Assessment on Technical Opportunities and
Research Needs for Latin America. Key focus of the project is the
identification and assessment of improved 1st and 2nd generation
biofuel conversion technologies. It investigates sustainability, standardisation and
trade aspects of future large-scale biofuel production, and develops scenarios, roadmaps and recommendations. UNAM is responsible for mapping of existing biofuel
sectors in Latin America and also contributes to the study on
improved conversion technologies, sustainability of biofuel
production, standardisation and trade and roadmaps and
recommendations (www.top-biofuel.org)
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