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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
In early research on land grabbing, the initial focus was on foreign companies investing abroad, with a particular focus on those based in countries such as China,Gulf States, South Korea, and India. In recent years, it has become evident that the range of countries land investors originate in is far …
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 …
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 …
