Copenhagen COP 15 Must Address GHGs in Transportation Fuels: Low Carbon Biofuels Have a Vital Role to Play

With the release of an Industry Position Paper, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is calling for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategies in the transportation sector that take advantage of the verifiable emission reductions available from biofuels.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that if no current change in government policy is assumed, rising consumption of fossil fuels will double the concentration of GHGs in the atmosphere by the end of this century, leading to an eventual global temperature increase of up to 6 degreesC. In the absence of change, global energy-related CO2 emissions are projected to rise from 28 gigatonnes (Gt) in 2006 to 41 Gt in 2030, an increase of 45%.

In a recent life cycle assessment (LCA) study of biofuels, the IEA found that GHG reductions from ethanol production will more than double between 1995 and the projected level in 2015.

"With transportation responsible for 25% of the world's GHG emissions and rising, it is critical that biofuels form the core of any future mitigation strategy in this important sector," said Bliss Baker, spokesperson for the GRFA.

"Developing countries have an even greater opportunity with the adaptation of sustainable biofuels programs," declared Mr. Baker. "Adopting sustainable biofuels programs can deliver real GHG reductions while reducing a crippling reliance on imported fossil fuels for many developing nations," added Mr. Baker. "This is a unprecedented opportunity for those countries with abundant land mass."

In order for biofuels to play a meaningful role in climate change strategies the GRFA has proposed the following path forward:

1.  The GRFA is calling on all governments to adopt biofuels friendly
    policies in the transport sector, and wherever appropriate, binding
    targets, in order to encourage the move away from the world's dangerous
    addiction to oil.

2.  The GRFA is calling on all governments, international bodies and
    academia, to take into account the increasing efficiency of global
    biofuels production in developing policies as opposed to relying on
    out-of-date data and outdated arguments.

3.  The GRFA continues to call on the World Bank, the United Nations and
    other international bodies to increase investment in the agricultural
    sector of developing nations and to support expanded biofuels production
    in these regions.

4.  The GRFA calls on industry, international bodies, governments and NGOs
    to work together to safeguard local interests by ensuring transparency
    in long-term land deals in developing countries.

5.  The GRFA calls on all governments to base an indirect land use change
    (ILUC) policy on transparent and unequivocal scientific evidence only.
    That science is not there yet.

6.  The biofuels industry calls for the accelerated commercialization of
    first and second-generation biofuels technologies by adopting aggressive
    R&D tax policies that encourage the direct investment in these new
    technologies.

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biofuels friendly policies internationally. Alliance members represent over 65 per cent of the global biofuels production from 44 countries. Through the development of new technologies and best practices, the Alliance members are committed to producing renewable fuels with the smallest possible footprint.