This briefing paper reviews evidence of the impacts of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on food prices, with a focus on corn and soy, and presents new analysis on the impact of the RFS on U.S. livestock farmers. Studies examining the relationship between food prices and biofuel demand conclude …
Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply. Fulfilling the region’s biofuel potential would depend on increased residue collection from food crops and forest products, intensified cultivation of farmland, and reducing waste and losses …
Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review 2017 presents the status of renewable energy employment, both by technology and in selected countries, over the past year. In this fourth edition, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) finds that renewable energy employed 9.8 million people around the world in 2016 – …
This new REN21 Renewables Global Futures Report presents views of 114 renowned energy experts from around the world, on the feasibility and challenges of achieving a 100% renewable energy future. Their thoughts are grouped into 12 Great Debates ranging from the future of heating and transport, the interconnection of sectors, …
This report considers the potential availability of land and crops for biofuel expansion in Southern Africa. It is based on a regional-level review of data and is designed to highlight regional-level opportunities and constraints. It does not attempt to concentrate on specific national-level issues (which are covered in more detail …
This paper assesses biofuels technology readiness and provides foresight to biofuels development in Southern Africa. Efficient conversion pathways, coupled with biomass from waste or high-yielding energy crops, reduces both the costs of biofuels production and the environmental impacts. Currently, most biofuels are more expensive than petroleum fuels and market uptake …
Although the United States has pursued rapid development of corn ethanol as a matter of national biofuel policy, relatively little is known about this policy's widespread impacts on agricultural land conversion surrounding ethanol refineries. This knowledge gap impedes policy makers' ability to identify and mitigate potentially negative environmental impacts of …
Switching to biogas as vehicle fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector between 60% and 80% compared to fossil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel. This brief highlights the technologies available – both established and newly emerging – for biogas production and biogas-driven vehicle fleets. It evaluates costs, …
The EU’s 2009 renewable energy directive (RED I) was designed to increase the share of “renewable” fuels in transport. To achieve this the EU imposed a target of 10% renewable energy in transport on EU member states. EU policy focused on achieving big volumes of renewable fuels but failed to …
The need for energy security and climate change mitigation have increased blending mandates worldwide; in Southern Africa, demand for biofuels could increase following South Africa’s planned blending mandates. However, land constraints limit local industry expansion, with demand likely to be met in land-abundant countries. This paper reviews the status of …
Developing and promoting biofuels for aviation will be essential to reduce carbon emissions from commercial aviation. As a first step, some pioneering airports have already incorporated bio-jet fuel into their refuelling systems. Yet wider bio-jet adoption is constrained by high costs compared to fossil-based jet fuels. New policy approaches are …
As a flexible and competitive source of renewable energy, bioenergy can play a key role in decarbonising energy systems by responding to the needs of a wide range of demand profiles in the electricity, buildings, and transport sectors. Recognising the importance of taking a cross-cutting approach to bioenergy strategies that …
Develops a cost-benefit analysis to compare the impact of three separate policies to spur the additional production of ultralow-carbon fuels in California: a contract-for difference price guarantee, a per-gallon subsidy, and upfront capital grants. Uses a cashflow model to estimate the amount of new production of qualifying fuels in California …
Develops a cost-benefit analysis to compare the impact of three separate policies to spur the additional production of ultralow-carbon fuels in California: a contract-for difference price guarantee, a per-gallon subsidy, and upfront capital grants. Uses a cashflow model to estimate the amount of new production of qualifying fuels in California …
Summarizes the European Commission's (EC) formal proposal to the EU Council and the European Parliament to recast Renewable Energy Directive (RED) 2009/28/EC2, which will expire at the end of 2020. On November 30, 2016, the European Commission (EC) published a formal proposal to the EU Council and the European Parliament …
This report presents the results of a trend assessment of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel and cement up to 2015, and updates last year’s assessment. This assessment focuses on the changes in annual CO2 emissions from 2014 to 2015, and includes not only fossil-fuel combustion on which …
Renewable energy is a crucial step toward sustainable development in Pacific island countries (PICs). Asia has grown rapidly in the past 2 decades and accounts for an increasing share of global investment, production, and trade. PICs have benefited from that growth and strengthened their economic links with Asia while loosening …
This excerpt from the World Energy Outlook 2016 looks at the critical interplay between water and energy, with an emphasis on the stress points that arise as the linkages between these two sectors intensify. The analysis assesses the current and future freshwater requirements for energy production, highlighting potential vulnerabilities and …
The U.S. biofuels program, designed to boost demand for renewables in gasoline and diesel, is unlikely to meet its targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the government said in two reports on Monday. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the more than decade-old biofuels policy, is unlikely to meet targeted cuts …
As a major global economic driving force, the transport sector –and in particular the automotive sector– has provided employment and shaped technological progress over the course of a century. This is true for Germany as much as it is for China. Daunting climate and environmental concerns have cast a large …
Several modelling studies have highlighted the risk that biofuel production on agricultural land can displace existing food and animal feed production. This could indirectly lead to the conversion of forests and other natural land into new cropland to compensate for the displaced production. This indirect land use change effect is …
