The environmental certification of biofuels

Jul 2007

Bioenergy, including biofuels, could become a substantial tool for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, locally and globally, possibly providing a large fraction of global primary energy supply by 2020. Exactly how large that share will be is not possible to predict with any precision, being dependent on a complex array of physical, social, economic, technical (innovation) and environmental factors. In addition, there will be competition for biomass resources between the different bioenergy sectors (electricity, heat, transport) and alternative uses e.g. for chemical feedstocks and materials. There will be synergies too, particularly arising through advanced polygeneration and biorefinery supply chains that could help to raise primary productivity and raise resource-use-efficiencies.
However, assessing the actual environmental impacts of increased bioenergy and in particular, biofuel usage, will depend sensitively on the scale and mix of technology options employed and on the location. This heterogeneity in impacts and opportunities arises because the feedstock production, conversion and end-fuel supply chains for biofuels are often longer (geographically and technically) and considerably more complex than existing or alternative transport energy supply chains. There is also uncertainty in a range of potentially important factors that govern the assessment of the net impacts of biofuel production and use which can be divided into three categories:
1. Uncertainty resulting from the complexity of a biofuel supply chain. These can be resolved by more detailed accounting methodologies.
2. Uncertainty resulting from un-resolved methodological and scientific issues. These can only be resolved through additional research.
3. Uncertainty arising from differing current and future societal concerns and changing environmental parameters, for example a better understanding
of the nitrogen cycle, and therefore in the indicators and criteria that will need to be developed, measured and monitored.
In practice, very substantial differences are seen in existing biofuel supply chains in terms of environmental impacts. Such impacts include the GHG performance and wider impacts such as on biodiversity, water use, nitrogen use and flows, air and water quality impacts, and on amenity. This variance in impacts provides the justification for national policies in the UK, Netherlands and Germany that support the application of assurance and certification systems for biofuels. In turn, should such assurance and certification systems prove viable and valid, it would then be possible to reward individual biofuel supply options (e.g. by batch), based on their actual performance. Such a system could provide a powerful and flexible mechanism for incorporating externalities and encourage an evolutionary approach towards improved productivities, efficiencies and decreased impacts.
Despite the advantages outlined above, a number of questions remain about the application of assurance and certification to biofuels in this way. The questions centre on the level of detail and therefore regulation needed and the nature and validity of the indicators that might be used to demonstrate compliance with minimum environmental standards. Further doubts exist about the scope and coverage of the institutions around the world that are currently involved in environmental and social certification (mainly of food and timber) and their ability to expand their coverage to include the production and supply of biofuel feedstocks and fuels.
The rapidly expanding global biofuel market is being caused by the high current oil price and the expectation that these high levels will be maintained, is driving a political agenda that is sometimes in advance of the evaluation, monitoring and policy environment. New institutions, methodologies and science will be needed to ensure and assure that biofuels can meet new demands for supply without causing major social and environmental damage. In so doing there is also an opportunity to configure such systems to encourage innovation, and thus, improve efficiencies and lower inputs and impacts. This paper explores these issues and assesses the existing developments in national and regional assurance and certification schemes for biofuels.

By: J. Woods, R. Diaz-Chavez (Imperial College)

 
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