Abstract
Many countries present climate change mitigation benefit as one of the main rationales to defend their policies to promote biofuels. However, the role of biofuels on climate change mitigation remains ambiguous. Whether or not biofuels save greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions depends on how the savings are estimated. The GHG mitigation potentials of biofuels are normally assessed through three different approaches: project level approach, life-cycle approach, and an approach that accounts for indirect land-use change (ILUC) effect. Relying on a general equilibrium analysis, this chapter assesses climate change mitigation impacts of meeting biofuel mandates and targets introduced by 40 plus countries around the world.
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- 1.
While a life-cycle approach could approximate GHG savings of a biofuel project, it does not trace GHG leakage caused beyond project boundary that normally occurs when biofuel expansion is carried out at a large-scale. For example, biofuel blending mandates in the US and Europe could increase biofuel production in Brazil and Indonesia. The production might come from feedstock grown in new lands supplied through conversion of forest or pasture lands. The conversion of lands releases GHG emissions and it is referred to as indirect land use change (ILUC) effect of biofuels.
- 2.
The authors also analyze a scenario where the mandates and target are doubled to further stimulate biofuel penetration in the global energy supply mix. For results of that scenario, interested readers may refer to Timilsina and Mevel (2011)
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Timilsina, G.R., Mevel, S. (2014). Biofuels and Climate Change Mitigation. In: Timilsina, G., Zilberman, D. (eds) The Impacts of Biofuels on the Economy, Environment, and Poverty. Natural Resource Management and Policy, vol 41. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0518-8_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0518-8_9
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