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 …
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 …
There is overwhelming evidence of the harm caused by the European Union’s current bioenergy policy to people in developing countries, to the climate and to Europe’s own sustainable development. The policy is on a collision course with the Paris climate agreement and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This …
IRENA’s Renewable Energy Innovation Outlook series analyses the emerging developments making renewable energy technologies (RETs) increasingly competitive in the world’s energy markets and systems. Renewable mini-grids, offshore wind technologies, advanced liquid biofuels, and ocean energy technologies open the series, with other key technologies, infrastructure, applications and products to follow. The …
Sustainable biofuels have an important role to play in Africa’s development. Sugarcane bioethanol is currently the most cost-effective commercial biofuel and has the highest energy balance. The bioethanol industry, like sugar production, has matured in technological terms. Yet processes could be optimised and productivity further improved, with more efficient use …
Key World Energy Statistics contains timely, clearly presented data on the supply, transformation and consumption of all major energy sources for the main regions of the world.
Energy use in transport accounts for around one-third of global final energy consumption, and demand is growing rapidly, at about 1% annually. Transport has the lowest renewable energy share of any sector, making progress in this area crucial for the global transition to a sustainable energy system. Recognising the sector’s …
A summary of the history and current state of biofuels policy in Indonesia, highlighting the tension between the country’s renewable energy policy and the ambition in reducing its carbon emissions. Increasing domestic use of palm oil biodiesel is a pressing strategic issue for Indonesia. As the world’s 15th-largest motor vehicle …
Climate change, sustainably managed renewable raw materials and energy from biomass are some of the major challenges facing mankind in the 21st century. Globally, wood is the most important locally available renewable energy source for the human population. In Africa, fuelwood and charcoal production is the dominant use of woody …
A gasoline station attendant pumps diesel into a car at a filling station on March 23, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. Scientists have discovered a way to convert lethal carbon monoxide gas into a biofuel. Scientists have found a way to make the biofuel ethanol, using a bacteria that feeds on …
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan met his American counterpart, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to discuss issues in petroleum and energy sector. The United States and India have agreed to take several key steps in petroleum and energy sector, aimed towards achieving the ambitious goal …
Reviews the environmental impacts of palm oil production for biofuel in Indonesia, including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and air and water pollution. Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world and is a major feedstock for biodiesel and renewable diesel globally. Indonesia is the world’s leading …
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has set out to produce comprehensive, reliable data sets on renewable energy capacity and use worldwide. The 2016 Renewable Energy Statistics Yearbook shows data sets on renewable power-generation capacity for 2006-2015, renewable power generation for 2006-2014 and renewable energy balances for 100 countries and …
The recent period of high agricultural commodity prices is most likely over, say the OECD and FAO in their latest 10-year Outlook. But the two organisations warn of the need to be vigilant as the probability of a major price swing remains high. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2016-2025, published today, …
With the growing effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and the inevitable shift towards renewable energy, sugarcane and ethanol production are forecast to expand worldwide. This paper studies the multiple local impacts of the sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity producing mills in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where …
With the growing effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and the inevitable shift towards renewable energy, sugarcane and ethanol production are forecast to expand worldwide. This paper studies the multiple local impacts of the sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity producing mills in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where …
The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) is pleased to publish the 3rd Global Bioenergy Statistics report. The report shows that bioenergy is growing at a steady pace. In the year 2013, global biomass supply increased to 57.7 EJ accounting for 10% of the global energy supply. In terms of final energy …
As airlines struggle to find cleaner ways to power jets and with an industry-wide meeting on CO2 emissions just months away, scientists are busy growing algae in vast open tanks at an Airbus site at Ottobrun, near Munich. The European aerospace group is part-financing the Munich Technical University project to …
