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 …
A spokesman for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) said on Wednesday that the agency is not yet reviewing a final rule on 2014 biofuel blending requirements, quashing rumors the rule has been submitted for White House review. The agency in charge of the rule, the U.S. …
Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2014 examines progress in the development and deployment of key clean energy technologies. This Energy Technology Perspectives 2014 (ETP 2014) excerpt tracks each technology and sector against interim 2025 targets in the IEA 2014 Energy Technology Perspectives 2°C scenario, which lays out pathways to a sustainable …
The WBCSD launched a report, titled ‘Water, Food and Energy Nexus Challenges,' which indicates that increasing demand for agricultural products will strain land, water, energy and other resources, as well as contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The report highlights that food demand is expected to increase 60% by 2050 …
Ethanol was pitched as the new hope for alternative fuels in America, but what if it’s actually worse than conventional gasoline? That’s exactly what a new government-funded study is saying in an analysis of cellulostic ethanol — fuel made from byproducts like the leftovers from growing corn. The study suggests …
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency slashed its target for 2013 use of cellulosic biofuel to less than a million gallons on Tuesday after the industry failed to meet goals for production of the fuel last year. The agency lowered the mandate to 810,185 gallons in a new rule, well below …
Critics say bioenergy, carbon capture, among draft report's 'false solutions' to sustain business as usual economics A British environmental organisation that has reviewed the draft of a forthcoming UN IPCC report on mitigating climate change has questioned many of the document's recommendations as deeply flawed. Dr Rachel Smolker, co-director of …
Federal judges on Monday pressed the Obama administration to explain delays that have plagued its implementation of the U.S. biofuel mandate, as the government attempted to fend off an oil industry challenge to renewable fuel use targets. In a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C., the …
The German government will give its blessing on Tuesday to a sweeping reform of renewable energy laws designed to slow cost increases as Europe's largest economy moves to nearly double its green power share to 45 percent by 2025. Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet will adopt reforms to put the 'Energiewende', …
According to official statistics from Eurobserv’ER, 23.4 percent of the electricity in the European Union came from renewable energy sources in 2012. The total output for 2012 has been estimated at 763.5 TW. This represents an important increase from 2011, when these energy sources brought "only" 20.4 percent of total …
Technique of burning biomass then pumping released carbon underground included in leaked draft from UN climate panel An upcoming UN report suggests that unproven technologies to suck carbon out of the air might be a fix for climate change, according to a leaked draft obtained by the Guardian. Scientists and …
The latest edition of this authoritative annual report tells the story of the latest developments, signs and signals in the financing of renewable power and fuels. Packed full of statistics, charts and illuminating narrative, it explores the issues affecting each type of investment, technology, region. According to Global Trends in …
Harvesting seaweed 'forests' and feeding them into large underwater digesters could one day meet the world's energy needs, with nine per cent of the ocean floor being enough to replace fossil fuels entirely, according to an ambitious idea. Even a more immediate and realistic use of seaweed — a major …
Global energy use for heat accounts for more than 50% of final energy consumption and has important implications on energy security and energy-related CO2 emissions. Nonetheless, efforts to replace fossil-generated heat with renewable energy sources, are only slowly gaining momentum as renewable heat does not receive the attention it deserves …
This study examines recent documented experiences of biofuel projects to determine whether biofuel production in low-income countries (LICs) reduces food production and food security in the areas in which they are established. It is the second part of a two-stage analysis; the first stage of the analysis investigated the status …
With its exploding urban population burning ever more coal and wood, Africa could contribute as much as 55 percent of the world's particle pollutants by 2030, a study said on Tuesday. In 2005, the continent's global share of these atmospheric pollutants ranged from a five percent for sulphur dioxide and …
The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014 provides a bird's-eye view of market and performance trends across 16 of the most prevalent standards initiatives operating across ten different commodity sectors. The Review represents one small effort toward strengthening our understanding of how voluntary sustainability standards are developing over time, both …
The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is yet to start carbon auditing for the MG Road-Baiyappanahalli stretch on which commercial operations began more than two years ago. Govt not supporting eco-friendly measure that can earn money The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) is yet to start carbon auditing …
This discussion paper attempts to contribute to how to make future investment in agriculture responsible and efficient. Investment in agriculture is critical for global food provision, but in future it will have to compete with investment in land for raw materials and energy, such as various feedstocks for biofuel and …
Now in its 13th annual edition the Clean Energy Trends report has become a must-read in the clean-tech industry. The report includes tracking, forecasting and market sizing of the global solar, wind, and biofuels markets, analysis on solar PV pricing, public market performance, venture capital investments, and energy capacity additions, …
Projects to deliver a next generation of green transport fuel, which new research says could cut EU oil consumption by millions of tonnes per year, are on hold because of an EU policy vacuum, representatives of the industry say. Specific EU targets for low carbon transport fuel expire in 2020 …
