Bioenergy and Trade

Second-Generation Biofuel Markets: State of Play, Trade and Developing Country Perspectives

UNCTAD's first report on the state of biofuel technologies in 2007 highlighted a sector with great potential, but at the time that was a long way off from markets.In 2015, countries made commitments toward a ...

Feb 2016
The state of the biofuels market: regulatory, trade and development perspectives

As the UN system gears towards the definition of the Sustainable Development Goals for the international community in the period post-2015, the linkages between energy and development lie high in international agendas. Governments, intergovernmental organizations, ...

Nov 2014
Global bioenergy supply and demand projections. A working paper for REmap 2030

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has developed a Global Renewable Energy Roadmap – called REmap 2030 – to double the share of renewablesin the global energy mix by 2030. This ambitious target is derived ...

Sep 2014
Prospects for Agricultural Markets and Income in the EU 2013-2023

This report presents the medium-term outlook of major EU agricultural commodity markets and agricultural income to 2023, based on a set of coherent macroeconomic and policy assumptions deemed most plausible at the time of the ...

Dec 2013
Renewables 2013 Global Status Report

Renewable energy markets, industries, and policy frameworks have evolved rapidly in recent years. The Renewables Global Status Report provides a comprehensive and timely overview of renewable energy market, industry, investment, and policy developments worldwide. It ...

Jun 2013
EU bioenergy potential from a resource efficiency perspective

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced a series of reports estimating the European Union's bioenergy potential in an environmental perspective and analysing its most efficient use to support greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation (EEA,2006, 2007, ...

Jun 2013
Biofuels – what role in the future energy mix? Facts, trends and perspectives

The use of biofuels grew strongly in Germany between 2004 and 2007, but its share has been stagnating since then, at between 5.5-6%. Biodiesel made from rape led the way, ahead of ethanol made from ...

Oct 2012
EU biofuel use and agricultural commodity prices: a review of the evidence base

In 2012, the European Commission (EC) will produce a report reviewing the social impacts of EU biofuel policy. Under Article 17 (5) of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED)1, the EC is obliged to conduct this ...

Jun 2012
Unleashing the potential of renewable energy in India

India has 150GW of renewable energy potential, about half in the form of small hydropower, biomass, and wind and half in solar, cogeneration, and waste-to-energy. Developing renewable energy can help India increase its energy security, ...

Jun 2011
Price volatility in food and agricultural markets: policy responses

Under the Food Security pillar of the Seoul Multi-year Action Plan on Development, the G20 “request that FAO, IFAD, IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, WFP, the World Bank and the WTO work with key stakeholders to develop ...

Jun 2011
European Union and United States biofuel mandates - Impacts on world markets

This study seeks to clarify the interactions between different biofuel policy scenarios and their potential impacts on global agricultural markets and on the environment, particularly on production, trade, welfare, land use and CO2 emissions. The ...

Dec 2010
Development of strategies and sustainability standards for the certification of biomass for international trade

The "Development of strategies and sustainability standards for the certification of biomass for international trade" research project (short title: Bio-global) was carried out from Summer 2007 until Spring 2010.The study is based on the fact ...

Nov 2010
Biofuels production, trade and sustainable development

This document presents case studies from Pakistan, Costa Rica, South Africa and Ecuador that give a low- and middle-income country perspective on the potential for biofuel development. The focus is on the transport sector as ...

Nov 2010
Second-generation biofuels - Economics and policies

Recent increases in production of crop-based (or first-generation) biofuels have engendered increasing concerns over potential conflicts with food supplies and land protection, as well as disputes over greenhouse gas reductions. This has heightened a sense ...

Aug 2010
Modeling the global trade and environmental impacts of biofuel policies

There is rising skepticism about the potential positive environmental impacts of first generation biofuels. Growing biofuel crops could induce diversion of other crops dedicated to food and feed needs. The relocation of production could increase ...

Aug 2010
Algae-based biofuels: applications and co-products

The possible competition for land makes it impossible to produce enough first generation biofuel to offset a large percentage of the total fuel consumption for transportation. As opposed to land-based biofuels produced from agricultural feedstocks, ...

Jul 2010
Placing the 2006/08 commodity price boom into perspective

The 2006-08 commodity boom was one of the longest and broadest of the post-WWII period. The boom - and especially the 2008 rally, when crude oil prices peaked at US$ 133/barrel (up 94 percent from ...

Jul 2010
Biofuels - Markets, targets and impacts

This paper reviews recent developments in biofuel markets and their economic, social and environmental impacts. Several countries have introduced mandates and targets for biofuel expansion. Production, international trade and investment have increased sharply in the ...

Jul 2010
Global trends in sustainable energy investment 2010

In 2009, for the second year in a row, both the US and Europe added more power capacity from renewable sources such as wind and solar than conventional sources like coal, gas and nuclear.Renewables accounted ...

Jul 2010
Renewables 2010 – Global Status Report

Changes in renewable energy markets, investments, industries, and policies have been so rapid in recent years that perceptions of the status of renewable energy can lag years behind the reality. This report captures that reality ...

Jul 2010
A USDA regional roadmap to meeting the biofuels goals of the Renewable Fuels Standard by 2022

As part of that larger conversation, USDA’s objectives for this report include: providing the practical knowledge from the field that can enhance various models for biofuel production, identify challenges and opportunities, and help develop solutions ...

Jun 2010
Global trade and environmental impact study of the EU biofuels mandate

This study was commissioned by the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission (DG TRADE). The initial objective was to examine the potential economic and environmental impact of various EU trade policy options with ...

Mar 2010
Bioenergy development - Issues and impacts for poverty and natural resource management

This report overviews recent developments in the consumption and production of bioenergy. It examines the main issues and possible economic implications of these developments and assesses their potential impact on land use and the environment, ...

Jan 2010
Fundamentals of a sustainable US biofuels policy

The United States is investing billions of dollars each year in subsidies and tax breaks to domestic ethanol producers in the hope that biofuels will become a major plank of an energy security and fuel ...

Jan 2010
Sustainable production of second-generation biofuels - Potential and perspectives in major economies and developing countries

This study first discusses the global status quo of second-generation biofuels and their potential role in the future energy supply. Next, the study identifies global drivers for the development of this new industry and their ...

Jan 2010
Biofuels 2010: spotting the next wave - Executive summary

One response to the threat of climate change would be to regulate the use of carbon fossil fuels with an externality tax or some other policy measure. Taxing fossil fuels would drive up the price ...

Dec 2009
Bioenergy – A sustainable and reliable energy source (main report)

The supply of sustainable energy is one of the main challenges that mankind will face over the coming decades, particularly because of the need to address climate change.Biomass can make a substantial contribution to supplying ...

Dec 2009
Cookstoves and markets: experiences, successes and opportunities

GVEP International’s vision to reach millions of men, women and children in rural and peri urban areas by focusing on market mechanisms is a challenge in itself. Energy access for the poor has multi-dimensional facets ...

Dec 2009
Technology action plan: Bioenergy - Report to the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate

Bioenergy includes any kind of chemical energy accumulated through photosynthetic processes in organic plant matter (i.e., biomass). Example sources of bioenergy include dedicated energy crops (short rotation wood, perennial grasses), agricultural and forestry products and ...

Dec 2009
Green protectionism in the European Union: how Europe’s biofuels policy and the renewable energy directive violate WTO commitments

This paper examines the trade-policy consequences of current approaches in the European Union towards biofuels. The EU uses a broad range of measures to subsidise the production of biofuels in Europe and to protect them ...

Dec 2009
The biofuels market: current situation and alternative scenarios

A forward-looking vision should focus on the instruments and preconditions that would make biofuels a win-win solution for the environment and for rural development, while contributing to expand the supply of sustainable transportation fuels.The intent ...

Dec 2009
Development first: linking energy and emission policies with sustainable development for Brazil

Brazil is the tenth largest energy consumer in the world and the third largest in the Western Hemisphere, behind the United States and Canada. Over the past decade, Brazil has made great strides in increasing ...

Oct 2009
Recommendations for improving the effectiveness of renewable energy policies in China

Growing recognition of the important role that renewable energy can play in tackling climate change and ensuring energy security has led to a rapid boom in the industry over the last five years. According to ...

Oct 2009
Background paper: Chinese Renewables Status Report

This report was commissioned by REN21 as a background paper to its policy report on Recommendations for Improving the Effectiveness of Renewable Energy Policies in China.The report includes, among other, an overview of the Chinese ...

Oct 2009
Country Report Austria 2009 - IEA Bioenergy Task 40 - Sustainable international bioenergy trade: securing supply and demand

Austria is a small country located in Central Europe with a population of 8.3 million. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy ...

Oct 2009
Country report Belgium - IEA Bioenergy Task 40 - sustainable international bioenergy trade securing supply and demand

In 2007, the Flemish Region used 29.1 PJ biomass for energy purposes, and the Walloon Region 33.8 PJ. The total green electricity (biomass + other renewables) production in Flanders was 1640 GWh in 2007 (2.7% ...

Sep 2009
World Investment Report 2009 - Transnational corporations, agricultural production and development

World foreign direct investment flows fell moderately in 2008 following a five-year period of uninterrupted growth, in large part as a result of the global economic and financial crisis.While developed economies were initially those most ...

Sep 2009
Country Report 2009: Italy - IEA Bioenergy Task 40 - Sustainable International Bioenergy Trade

Bioenergy is a growing business for Italy. The use of biomass feedstock from agriculture (including energy crops) and agro-industrial residues is increasing; in 2007 the production of electricity from biomass and biogas increased by +3% ...

Sep 2009
State of the Argentine biodiesel industry - First Semester 2009 Report: International production rankings, increasing production levels, and ongoing international commercial disputes

The global biodiesel industry continues to evolve rapidly. European production seems to be shifting towards Eastern Europe (closer to its feedstock, rapeseed/canola); the U.S. industry appears headed to a contraction of as much as 40% ...

Sep 2009
Market of biomass fuels in Finland

This study considers the current situation of solid and liquid biomass fuels in Finland. The fact that industry consumes more than half of the total primary energy, widely applied combined heat and power production and ...

Aug 2009
Country report: Brazil – IEA Bioenergy Task 40 – Sustainable bioenergy trade; securing supply and demand

Worldwide, few countries as Brazil have an energy matrix with such an important share of renewable energy sources: in 2007, almost 46% of its primary energy supply was covered by renewables, being the share of ...

Aug 2009
Bioenergy – A sustainable and reliable energy source - A review of status and prospects – Executive summary

The supply of sustainable energy is one of the main challenges that mankind will face over the coming decades, particularly because of the need to address climate change.Biomass can make a substantial contribution to supplying ...

Aug 2009
Market of biomass fuels in Finland

Finland has long-standing traditions in the utilisation of biomass in energy production, and bioenergy plays an important role in the Finnish energy system. The country is one of the world’s largest importers of raw wood; ...

Aug 2009
Country report 2009 for Norway - IEA Bioenergy task 40

This report is a part of the work of IEA Bioenergy Task 40 working group-“Sustainable International Bioenergy Trade: Securing Supply and Demand” and gives a picture of the situation regarding bioenergy in Norway for the ...

Aug 2009
Greenhouse gas reduction policies and agriculture: implications for production incentives and international trade disciplines

Climate change legislation is currently being discussed in the Congress of the United States of America (USA). The extent to which agriculture will be included in the provisions is still under debate. Farm groups, concerned ...

Aug 2009
Biofuels certification and the law of the World Trade Organization

This report assesses under what circumstances a biofuels-certification programme might be WTOcompatible.Part I describes biofuels policies. They provide a starting point for any analysis of the trade legitimacy of a biofuels programme. Part 2 introduces ...

Aug 2009
Induced market disturbances related to biofuels

The current market introduction of biofuels coincides with significant price increases on other commodity markets. However it is not clear to what extend biofuels really cause an increased demand for raw materials and thus an ...

Jul 2009
Global trends in sustainable energy investment 2009

The drivers that have propelled investment in the sustainable energy sector so dramatically for the past five years are still at work – climate change, energy insecurity, fossil fuel depletion, new technologies etc. There is ...

Jun 2009
US trade policies on biofuels and sustainable development

In recent months, many developments have led to questions about US energy policies, in particular those concerning biofuels. Globally, some commodity price reductions appear to be likely, but global food prices remain high, economic slowdowns ...

Jun 2009
Biofuels subsidies and the law of the WTO

In recent years, biofuels have been eagerly embraced by governments as a home-grown solution to a range of complex policy challenges, including climate change, dependence on foreign energy, and rural development. Biofuels have also been ...

Jun 2009
EU support for biofuels and bioenergy, environmental sustainability criteria, and trade policy

This paper provides a description of the EU’s biofuel policies, set in the context of its overall policy framework on renewable and bioenergy, and their interface with the WTO legal system.

Jun 2009
Global status report on local renewable energy policies – Working draft

City and local governments can play a key role in encouraging renewable energy at the local level. The multiple roles of these local governments as decision-makers, planning authorities, managers of municipal infrastructure, and role models ...

Jun 2009
Biofuels subsidies and the law of the WTO

The growth of biofuel production has also attracted attention for its negative impact on global food prices. Less attention has been paid, however, to the broader trade and economic impacts of the subsidies and incentives ...

Jun 2009
Country report: United States - IEA Task 40: Sustainable International Bioenergy Trade: Securing Supply and Demand

The main barrier for biomass is sustainable production of feedstocks. While national assessments identify sufficient biomass resource to meet the production targets, much of that resource is inaccessible because of unfavorable economics that result from ...

Jun 2009
A global overview of vegetable oils, with reference to biodiesel - A Report for the IEA Bioenergy Task 40

There are various factors that affect the feedstock and market for vegetable oils, such as:i) Increasing demand sparked off by higher consumption of edible oils, particularly in emerging countries. For example, according to USDA, between ...

Jun 2009
Renewables Global Status Report 2009 - Update

This “Update” edition of the Renewables Global Status Report is the fourth in a series launched in 2005. It provides an integrated picture of the global renewable energy situation, unfolding in the midst of a ...

May 2009
Thailand biofuels’ impact on food crops

Biofuel consumption increased significantly in 2008 as petroleum prices reached a record high.The run-up in crude oil prices left gasohol and biodiesel as cheaper options for Thai consumers. Attractive prices for E10 (a mixture of ...

Mar 2009
Biofuel industry study, Tanzania - An assessment of the current situation

The biofuel industry in Tanzania is still in a nascent stage, with various companies, both Tanzanian and international, active at various stages. Tanzania has been inundated by foreign investors since 2006, most from the EU ...

Mar 2009
Will the ethanol mandate drive up the cost of transportation fuel?

The Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc. (EPRINC) evaluates in this report the consequences to the U.S. transportation fuel sector of increasing the volume of ethanol in the U.S. gasoline pool above current volumes -- now ...

Feb 2009
Annual Energy Outlook 2009 - Early release overview

The AEO2009 reference case includes greater use of renewable energy than the AEO2008 reference case.Total consumption of marketed renewable fuels—including wood, municipal waste, and biomass in the end-use sectors; hydroelectricity, geothermal, municipal waste, biomass, solar, ...

Jan 2009
Smart choices for biofuels

Much of the strong support for biofuels in the United States is premised on the national security advantages of reducing dependence on imported oil. In late 2007, these expected payoffs played a major role in ...

Jan 2009
Bioenergy and biofuels: opportunities and constraints

It is still controversial whether biofuels, particularly first generation biofuels, deliver net GHG benefits. Policies concerning biofuel production will need to require that feedstock production practices do not create net additional emissions of GHGs directly, ...

Jan 2009
Agrofuels in South Africa - Projects, players and poverty

The South African government has readily embraced the establishment of an agrofuels industry, citing job creation, the need for clean and renewable energy and the creation of markets for small-holder farmers, as key motivators.Agrofuel production ...

Dec 2008
Integration of agricultural and energy systems

Massive production of energy, mainly liquid fuels, from agricultural resources will link agricultural and energy markets, tightly. The new market integration is perhaps the most fundamentally important change to occur in agriculture in decades. The ...

Dec 2008
Ethanol USA

Environmental, social, economic, and food issues brought on by the rapidly expanding ethanol-from-corn industry in the United States are reviewed and discussed.The U.S. and many other countries got on an “irrational exuberance” trip with biofuels ...

Dec 2008
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in Indonesia

This report examines government support for biofuels in Indonesia, which began with the announcement of a new biofuels plan in 2006. Current policies supporting biofuels came bundled together with the Energy Security Act under which ...

Dec 2008
Food, farmers and fuel: balancing global grain and energy policies with sustainable land use

The public debate on agrofuels changed dramatically over the past year. What started out as an intriguing proposal on an apparently innovative alternative fuel source quickly turned into an important and contentious topic of international ...

Nov 2008
Sugarcane ethanol - Contributions to climate change mitigation and the environment

The aim of this publication is to set the stage for the discussion about both challenges and concerns of sugarcane ethanol by providing the scientific context, the basic concepts and the approach for understanding the ...

Nov 2008
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in China

This report examines the historical development and current status of the biofuel industry in China, focusing on government policies to support production and consumption. The analysis forms part of a multi-country effort by the Global ...

Nov 2008
The palm oil financing handbook. Practical guidance on responsible financing and investing in the palm oil sector

How can banks and investors reduce their risks in the palm oil sector? How can financial institutions encourage sustainable palm oil production? These two questions are the starting point for The Palm Oil Financing Handbook, ...

Nov 2008
Summaries of analyses in 2008 of biofuels policies by international and European technical agencies

Since January 2008, international institutions, national technical agencies, and major international scientific organizations have released ten major reviews of biofuel policies. This brief summarizes their conclusions, which include: World land use competition means liquid biofuels are ...

Nov 2008
Biofuels and the underlying causes of high food prices

There are several explanations to the sharp price increase. One of the first rules of economics is that prices are determined by supply and demand, but the classical ideal market assumption and the fall of ...

Oct 2008
The State of Food and Agriculture 2008 - Biofuels: prospects, risks and opportunities

The State of Food and Agriculture 2008 explores the implications of the recent rapid growth in production of biofuels based on agricultural commodities. The boom in liquid biofuels has been largely driven by policies in ...

Oct 2008
2008 Report - Goals of bioenergy in Italy - Key elements for 2020 objectives

In 2004 ITABIA drafted, on behalf of the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea (MATTM), a comprehensive report on “Biomass for Energy Production and the Environment”, which not only provided statistical data on ...

Oct 2008
Seized! The 2008 land grab for food and financial security

Today’s food and financial crises have, in tandem, triggered a new global land grab. On the one hand, “food insecure” governments that rely on imports to feed their people are snatching up vast areas of ...

Oct 2008
The state of food and agriculture in Asia and the Pacific region

The growing importance of biofuels is a major challenge and an opportunity for the sector. Biofuels production has grown from 1 million hectares seven years ago to 25 million hectares today. If petroleum prices remain ...

Oct 2008
The challenge of biofuels

It is difficult to know how much ethanol will be needed in countries that already adopted blend mandates but it is estimated at least 1 billion gallons.Brazil already replaces 20–25% of its gasoline with ethanol, ...

Oct 2008
US national biofuels action plan

America has one-third of the world’s automobiles (230 million) and uses twenty-five percent of the world’s oil. The American economy depends on liquid transportation fuels, principally derived from petroleum, to power our cars, buses, trucks, ...

Sep 2008
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for biodiesel in Malaysia

This report examines the history and status of the biofuel industry in Malaysia, focusing on government support policies. It forms part of a multi-country effort by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) to characterize and quantify ...

Sep 2008
Economic assessment of biofuel support policies

Government support of biofuel production in OECD countries is costly, has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy security, and has a significant impact on world crop prices, according to a new ...

Jul 2008
OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2008-2017 - Highlights

The report is published annually, as part of a continuing effort to promote informed discussion of emerging market and policy issues. This edition of the Agricultural Outlook offers an assessment of agricultural markets covering cereals, ...

Jul 2008
G8 Hokkaido-Toyako Summit - Double jeopardy: responding to high food and fuel prices

For the first time since 1973, the world is being hit by a combination of record oil and food prices. Such record oil and food prices are a destabilizing element for the global economy because ...

Jul 2008
Biomass, hot issue - Smart choices in difficult times

The use of biobased raw materials for energy and material has been brought into discredit in the past years. The use of bioenergy is repeatedly held responsible for the recent food crisis and for the ...

Jul 2008
What’s driving food prices?

Written by Purdue University economists Wallace Tyner, Christopher Hurt and Philip Abbott, the study, What’s Driving Food Prices?, identifies three broad sets of forces driving food price increases.The first major section is an analysis of ...

Jul 2008
The value of carbon in China - Carbon finance and China’s sustainable energy transition

Renewable energy has achieved in China spectacular growth in recent years, making significant progress toward achieving policy targets for 2010, which were published last year. However, given the dramatic increases of total domestic energy consumption, ...

Jul 2008
Global trends in sustainable energy investment 2008

The 2008 edition of Global Trends shows that investment flows have not only continued to grow – more than 60% compared to 2006 – they have broadened and diversified, giving the sustainable energy sector greater ...

Jul 2008
Another inconvenient truth - How biofuel policies are deepening poverty and accelerating climate change

The proponents of biofuels argue that they have the solution, or at least a part of it. Ethanol and biodiesel will allow us to continue our love affair with the internal combustion engine, while simultaneously ...

Jun 2008
Annual Energy Outlook 2008 with projections to 2030

The Annual Energy Outlook 2008 (AEO2008), prepared by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), presents long-term projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030. The projections are based on results from EIA’s National Energy Modeling ...

Jun 2008
Biofuel impacts on climate change, the environment and food - Report to the Renewable Fuels Agency

The belief that biofuels can mitigate climate change has driven governments around the world to promote the production of ethanol and biodiesel through policies that guarantee markets and offer incentives to producers and consumers. The ...

May 2008
Fuelling exclusion? The biofuels boom and poor people’s access to land

This study aims to open up discussion of the way in which biofuels are likely to impact on access to land. Many observers and activists have raised concerns that the spread of biofuels may result ...

May 2008
Mozambique biofuels assessment

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the potential for biofuels production in Mozambique and assesses the potential competitiveness of biofuels production in comparison to the cost of imported petroleum-based transportation fuels in the domestic ...

May 2008
Biofuels and sustainable development

Guiding biofuel development to realize its multiple potential benefits while guarding against its multiple risks requires the application of a similarly diverse set of tailored policy interventions, together with integrated efforts to assure that those ...

May 2008
Agrofuels in India, private unlimited

GRAIN is an international non-profit organisation which promotes the sustainable management and use of agricultural biodiversity based on people’s control over genetic resources and local knowledge.This document is an extract on Indian agrofuels.Responding enthusiastically to ...

Apr 2008
World Economic Outlook – Housing and business cycle

In addition to problems within the financial sector, there are two main short-run vulnerabilities for the global economy, both of which the continuing deep correction in the U.S. housing market and the unresolved financial sector ...

Apr 2008
Biofuels – At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in Australia

The prospect of turning agricultural products into fuels has also generated ferment within the farming sector — both among crop farmers, who would benefit from higher prices, and livestock farmers, who are worried about the ...

Apr 2008
Biofuels - Topping up the fuel mix – Project Report - 16 projects funded by the Intelligent Energy-Europe programme

Biofuels projects co-funded by the Intelligent Energy-Europe programme (IEE) aim to stimulate action at all levels, throughout the supply chain, across the European Union. The overall aim is to increase the production and use of ...

Apr 2008
Biofuel and global biodiversity

The current situation in agricultural commodity markets is unique; rarely in recent decades has the agricultural industry experienced sustained high prices for commodities.This creates a new set of environmental concerns, makes industrial agricultural production economically ...

Apr 2008
Development policy stance on agrofuels – Discussion paper

This document contains a discussion paper of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development on the issue of international development of policy on agrofuels.Over the past few years, agrofuels have increasingly been used ...

Mar 2008
Ethanol, mandates, and drought: insights from a stochastic equilibrium model of the U.S. corn market

The outlook for U.S. corn markets is inextricably linked to what happens to the U.S. ethanol industry, which depends, in turn, on the level of government subsidies and mandates.Historically, corn price volatility was caused primarily ...

Mar 2008
US baseline briefing book - Projections for agricultural and biofuel markets

This report presents a summary of ten-year baseline projections for US agricultural and biofuel markets.In November 2007, FAPRI analysts prepared a preliminary set of projections that were later reviewed at a workshop in Washington, DC ...

Mar 2008
Biofuel support policy costs to the U.S. economy

Current Federal law pays a fixed minimum of $0.51 per gallon for all ethanol blended with gasoline. Payments go to petroleum blenders in the form of a tax rebate. The recently enacted Energy Independence and ...

Mar 2008
MERCOSUR Report n.12 2006-2007

Through this annual report, the Institute for the Integration of Latin America and the Caribbean of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB-INTAL) aims to facilitate access to information for a potential readership interested in MERCOSUR, spanning ...

Feb 2008
Making certification work for sustainable development: the case of biofuels

Biofuels, fuels derived from biomass, are among the bioenergy alternatives which are being considered and are currently viewed, if carefully developed, as one of the means of slowing down the process of global warming and ...

Feb 2008
Biofuel production technologies: status, prospects, and implications for trade and development

Biofuels are drawing increasing attention worldwide as substitutes for petroleum-derived transportation fuels to help address energy cost, energy security and global warming concerns associated with liquid fossil fuels. The term biofuel is used here to ...

Feb 2008
Changing the climate. Ethanol industry outlook 2008

The 2008 edition of the Renewable Fuel Association’s Ethanol Industry Outlook is a catalog of important statistics for America’s ethanol industry, providing the most up-to-date graphs, charts and facts about the production and use of ...

Feb 2008
Local and global consequences of the EU renewable directive for biofuels

On the 23 January 2008, the European Commission released its climate and energy policy package, including European targets for greenhouse gas reductions and shares of renewables for all EU Member States in 2020 (EC, 2008a). ...

Feb 2008
Sustainable biofuels: prospects and challenges

There are three main drivers, at the national, regional and global levels, for the development of bioenergy and biofuels. These are: climate change, energy security and rural development. The political motivation to support biofuels arises ...

Jan 2008
Guide to RFA operating processes for biofuel suppliers and traders

This guide is designed for directors, managers and staff of biofuel suppliers and others wishing to participate in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO imposes an obligation on fossil fuel suppliers to supply ...

Jan 2008
Biofuels and development: will the EU help or hinder?

Developing countries are heavily affected by global biofuels policies, both as potential producers (for their own use or export) and as consumers (of crops displaced by biofuels and of energy). Because Europe is a major ...

Jan 2008
National policies and strategies on bioenergy in Africa - Case study: the Gambia

The Republic of The Gambia is the smallest country in West Africa. With the exception of the Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia is totally enveloped by Senegal. Fuel wood is the dominant energy resource, accounting for ...

Jan 2008
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: an analysis of South African bioethanol

Decoupling economic activity from the consumption of fossil fuels is a prerequisite for sustained economic growth, if not survival. In the face of this challenge biofuels are once again being posited as a source of ...

Dec 2007
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: the case of Ecuador’s palm oil biodiesel

The debate on the advantages and disadvantages of biofuels production began by questioning the conditions in which biofuels were being produced in some countries.Its effects on the environment and on worker rights, its economic impacts, ...

Dec 2007
Charcoal: the reality. A study of charcoal consumption, trade and production in Malawi

Natural resource management experts, government and its development partners have debated the charcoal trade for some time, but until now, there has been little solid evidence on the scale and scope of the subject. Lacking ...

Dec 2007
Biofuels trade and sustainable development: the case of Pakistan

The preamble provides both a backdrop and a context for this study. Essentially a scoping exercise, the objectives of this study are to:a) assess the production potential of energy crops in Pakistan;b) evaluate the foreign ...

Dec 2007
The environmental certification of biofuels – Discussion paper

Assessing the actual environmental impacts of increased bioenergy and in particular, biofuel usage, will depend on the scale and mix of technology options employed and on the location. The fundamental factors that govern biomass productivity ...

Dec 2007
Green power marketing in the United States: a status report (tenth edition)

Regardless of whether US electricity consumers have access to a green power product from their retail power provider, any consumer can purchase green power through renewable energy certificates (RECs), which represent the “attributes” of electricity ...

Dec 2007
The multilateral trade and investment context for biofuels: issues and challenges

This paper looks at the multilateral trade and investment context for biofuels, particularly the agricultural crops that are being converted into liquid fuel on a commercial scale – ethanol and biodiesel. It summarizes some of ...

Nov 2007
Biofuel thematic paper – Biofuel potential

The potential for biofuel production/usage is assessed in this study.The assessments cover mainly the EU, the U.S., China, Brazil, Denmark with references also to the remaining parts of the world; they are focused on the ...

Nov 2007
The Swan labelling of fuel - Background document on the ecolabelling of fuel

This document provides background for the requirements proposed by Nordic Ecolabelling in its Consultation Document.The document discusses Nordic Ecolabelling’s motives in developing criteria for the ecolabelling of fuels. It also provides a general introduction to ...

Nov 2007
Swan labelling of fuel

In a life cycle perspective, a Swan-labelled fuel generates lower emissions of greenhouse gases. Moreover, compared with conventional fossil fuels, a Swan-labelled fuel does not cause to an increased risk of cancer or increased energy ...

Nov 2007
Renewable fuel standard implementation: frequently asked consumer questions

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has prepared this document to help answer some commonly asked questions about renewable fuels.EPA consulted with trade groups representing the oil, engine, automobile, and renewable fuels industries as well as ...

Nov 2007
Biofuels: strategic choices for commodity dependent developing countries

The biofuels industry got underway on a large scale in the early 1970s, within the PROALCOOL Programme in Brazil. But it is only in the last five years that biofuels have started to be taken ...

Nov 2007
The future of biofuels - A global perspective

Unlike previous high-price periods, the current oil market is driven by strong demand-side factors. These factors include robust economic growth and rising oil demand from rapidly growing middle-income economies, where consumers are demanding a higher ...

Nov 2007
A review of the current state of bioenergy development in G8 +5 Countries

This report is part of the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP)’s ongoing efforts to monitor the status of bioenergy development in member countries and create a basis for future discussion of sustainability criteria and possible guidelines ...

Nov 2007
Empowering rural communities by planting energy - Roundtable on bioenergy enterprise in developing regions

Competition for other land uses, such as production of food or other crops that are being produced already, needs to be factored in at the beginning of the decision making process. Furthermore, from a variety ...

Oct 2007
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in the European Union

This report examines public support for biodiesel and ethanol for road transportation in the European Union. It forms part of a multi-country effort by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable ...

Oct 2007
Biofuels: is the cure worse than the disease?

This document was prepared at the initiative of the Chair of the Round Table on Sustainable Development at the OECDBiofuels have been championed as an energy source that can increase security of supply, reduce vehicle ...

Sep 2007
Biodiesel, renewable diesel and co-processed renewable diesel

This is document containing a brief information about differences between biodiesel, renewable diesel and coprocessed renewable diesel. These terms and definitions are often very confusing. It also focuses on the US policy that addresses the ...

Sep 2007
Considering trade policies for liquid biofuels

Bioenergy is playing an increasingly important role as an alternative and renewable source of energy. Bioenergy includes solid biomass, biogas, and liquid biofuels. Combustion of biomass residues for heat and power generation is commercially viable ...

Sep 2007
Recent trends in the law and policy of bioenergy production, promotion and use

This paper aims to stimulate discussion on the elements of appropriate national legal frameworks for bioenergy, particularly in developing countries. It provides legislators and policy-makers with a tool to assist in identifying areas of law ...

Sep 2007
Biofuels – At what cost? (Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in selected OECD countries)

This paper provides an overview of policy measures currently applied to support the production and consumption of biofuels. It also discusses how the different policies supportive of biofuels interact with broader agricultural, energy, and environmental ...

Sep 2007
Bioenergy and the sustainability transition: from local resource to global commodity

The looming threat of climate change and the invaluable role of energy in development have complicated the global transition to sustainable energy while also increasing the urgency of the transition. Bioenergy has a key role ...

Aug 2007
A look at US–Brazil ethanol trade and policy

Brazil and the USA are experiencing an ‘ethanol investment boom’. Agriculture in both countries is being reorganized to boost biomass production, but duties and tariffs may finally dictate the way the nations adjust to increasing ...

Aug 2007
A market and policy interpretation of recent developments in the world ethanol industry

The concept of an integrated world ethanol market refers more to a possibility than to a reality. Presently, the value of ethanol exchanged among countries is only a few billion dollars. But the possibility of ...

Jul 2007
Biodiversity, rights and livelihood – Agrofuels special issue

In this article, a closer look is taken at the way corporations are using the stampede into agrofuels to extend their takeover of world farming. An unparalleled process of mergers, takeovers and alliances is tightening ...

Jul 2007
Cost of biodiesel production

To keep the refining market tight and gasoline prices and profits high, Big Oil is now threatening to scale back modest plans to expand refining capacity.Keeping the refining sector tight is not the only way ...

Jul 2007
Big Oil vs. ethanol: the consumer stake in expanding the production of liquid fuels

To keep the refining market tight and gasoline prices and profits high, Big Oil is now threatening to scale back modest plans to expand refining capacity.Keeping the refining sector tight is not the only way ...

Jul 2007
The rush to ethanol: not all biofuels are created equal - Analysis and recommendations for U.S. biofuels policy

Corn-based ethanol has emerged as a leading contender to reduce dependence on fossil fuel–based gasoline. At first glance, corn-based ethanol seems simple, even patriotic: take the sugar from corn that U.S. farmers grow, and ferment ...

Jul 2007
Agroenergy and biofuels atlas of the Americas - Ethanol

This volume presents information about the current state of and outlook for ethanol production in several countries of the Americas.The agricultural sector has great potential as a supplier of feedstock for generating energy, including the ...

Jun 2007
Growth and responsibility in the world economy

Developed at Heiligendamm during the G8 Summit 2007, this document outlines the key commitments of the G8 countries on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development issues, including:G8 agenda for global growth and stability;Systemic stability ...

Jun 2007
Biofuels, agriculture and poverty reduction

This paper addresses the role of biofuels in development and poverty reduction. For example, it has been argued that:energy crops are beginning a green revolution in Brazil;a bioproduct-based agro-revolution can offer a new development paradigm;biofuels ...

Jun 2007
Considering trade policies for liquid biofuels

This report, which focuses on the issues associated with trade in liquid biofuels, is a second Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) report on biofuels, and forms a part of a broader assessment of bioenergy ...

Jun 2007
Biofuel annual report - China

China views biofuels as an essential and strategic component of a secure economy and diversified energy policy. To ensure development of biofuels, the central government takes an active role in regulating both the supply and ...

Jun 2007
Oil palm and other commercial tree plantations, monocropping: impacts on indigenous peoples’ land tenure and resource management systems and livelihoods

This paper draws on important reports by various United Nations (UN) organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as from visits of members of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to countries where large-scale ...

May 2007
Implications of a future global biofuels market for economic development and international trade

This is the report of the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s workshop on biofuels organized on the 9th of May 2007. Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government brought together experts from academia, ...

May 2007
Measures for the promotion of biodiesel

PREMIA (June 2004 – May 2007) is a project funded by the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme. PREMIA aims at supporting the European Commission’s ongoing work on alternative fuels. It provides input into ...

May 2007
R&D, demonstration and incentive programmes effectiveness to facilitate and secure market introduction of alternative motor fuels

The PREMIA project aims at supporting the European Commission's on-going work on alternative fuels. It provides input into the revision of the biofuels directive and discusses long-term, cost effective policy framework to support the market ...

May 2007
Analysis of biofuel support policies

The progress in introducing biofuels remains low on an EU average. Biofuels consumption merely reached 1% of all transport fuels consumed by the end of 2005, half of the indicative target of 2% set by ...

May 2007
R&D, demonstration and incentive programmes effectiveness to facilitate and secure market introduction of alternative motor fuels

PREMIA is a Specific Support Action within the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission which aims at assessing the effectiveness of measures to support the market introduction of alternative motor fuels, taking into account ...

May 2007
REEEP looks at complexity of producing biofuels in South Africa

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), one of the leading non-profit organizations promoting clean energy in the developing world, is studying the potential and problems associated with biofuels in South Africa. Simon Wilson ...

May 2007
Liquid biofuels in transport: conclusions and recommendations of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) to the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

As a result of renewed and growing interest in biofuels as a renewable energy source to substitute petroleum-derived products in the transport sector, the GEF received a number of project proposals to support biofuels in ...

May 2007
Economic impacts of not extending biofuels subsidies

The exponential growth of the biofuels industry has created significant increases in feed prices in the livestock sector. In February and March of 2007, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Pork Producers called ...

May 2007
UK biomass strategy

This strategy brings together current government policies on biomass for industry, energy and transport and provides a framework for the development of biomass as a whole. It recognises that the EU and wider international policies ...

May 2007
New and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity - Biodiversity and liquid biofuel production

The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) is mandated to identify new and emerging issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In a meeting held by teleconference on 22 ...

Apr 2007
Small-scale production and use of liquid biofuels in Sub-Saharan Africa: perspectives for sustainable development

This background paper focuses on the impact of biofuels for small-scale development and use by households, farmers, communities, etc. Its emphasis is on the sustainable development of biofuels to increase modern energy access to these ...

Apr 2007
A blueprint for green energy in the Americas - Strategic analysis of opportunities for Brazil and the hemisphere

While not a panacea, biofuels represent one important choice in an increasing array of energy options. They have a significant role to play in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from transport, developing rural economies, ...

Apr 2007
Sustainable bioenergy: a framework for decision makers

This paper on sustainable bioenergy was drafted collectively by UN-Energy members , which include all of the United Nations agencies, programmes, and organizations working in the area of energy, reflecting their insights and expertise.The paper ...

Apr 2007
Biofuel production and the threat to South Africa's food security

Biofuels production is increasing inexorably all over the world, driven by the rise in oil prices and the threat of climate change. This in turn is pushing up the price of food, especially of those ...

Apr 2007
Biofuel issues in the new legislation on the promotion of renewable energy

The European Commission takes into account the views of stakeholders as expressed in 2006 consultation exercises on heating and cooling and biofuels and the recent consultation exercise on administrative obstacles to the increased use of ...

Apr 2007
The global dynamics of biofuels. Potential supply and demand for ethanol and biodiesel in the coming decade

This report was written by the Brazil Institute of the Woodrow Wilson Center which is a “think tank” in Washington that promotes the US – Brazilian relationships. The article collects the opinions of seven experts ...

Apr 2007
Biomass energy transition in rural China: policy options and co-benefits

It has been widely accepted that providing adequate, clean and affordable energy to rural residents is essential for eradicating poverty, improving human welfare, and raising living standards worldwide. Sustainable energy in rural development, with wide ...

Mar 2007
Latin America to 2020 - A UK public strategy paper

Latin America matters to the UK and the world. The entire process of globalisation means we are increasingly interlinked. And it is not only about mutual economic interests. Political stability is a vital mutual interest. ...

Mar 2007
Modelling the impacts of macroeconomic variables on the South African biofuels industry

The production of biofuel from agricultural commodities is the hot topic in most of the major economies around the world. The Kyoto protocol has further sparked an interest in the preservation of the environment and ...

Mar 2007
Biodiesel in Germany 2006: market trends and competition

Biofuels are seen by experts currently as the only alternative to fossil fuels which are able to make a noteworthy contribution to secure mobility in the short to medium-term.In January 2007 The European Commission presented ...

Mar 2007
Biomass fuel trade in Europe - Summary report

This report is a summary of biomass fuel trade in Europe. The reference year is 2003 or 2004, and both 20 country reports and a summary report is prepared.The assessed figure for the total technoeconomical ...

Mar 2007
Biofuels, agriculture and poverty reduction

Despite these concerns, alarm over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, rising oil prices and new biofuels targets in the North mean that development stakeholders are interested in the role of the agricultural sector in biofuels production.This ...

Mar 2007
Current situation and prospects for biodiesel and vegetable oils as fuels: from niche products to market players (Germany)

From a very early stage, Germany and France had seen a new commercial alternative in rapeseed cultivation on set-aside land to produce diesel, albeit pursuing different strategies.France consistently pursued an admixture of biodiesel and petroleum ...

Mar 2007
Towards introduction of alternative motor fuels: country specific situations

PREMIA is a Specific Support Action in the 6th Framework Programme of the EuropeanCommission.Although the introduction of alternative motor fuels in the market is a general EU-strategy, in this work package country specific conditions were ...

Mar 2007
Biomass, livelihoods and international trade - Challenges and opportunities for the EU and Southern Africa

This report is an outcome of a workshop held on 29-30 April 2005, in London, entitled, “Biomass, Sustainable Livelihoods, and International Trade: Challenges and Opportunities for the EU and southern Africa.” The workshop focused on ...

Feb 2007
Biofuel potential in Guyana

Guyana depends on imported fuels to meet the needs of its transport sector. In recent years, prices of derivatives of petroleum have increased significantly, further widening the current account deficit. In 2005, fuel accounted for ...

Feb 2007
Contribution of the ethanol industry to the economy of the United States

The ethanol industry is one of the most significant success stories in American manufacturing over the past quarter century.From a cottage industry that produced 175 million gallons in 1980, the American ethanol industry has grown ...

Feb 2007
Linkages between energy and water management for agriculture in developing countries

This paper summarizes and draws conclusions from papers and discussions of the International conference at ICRISAT Campus (Hyderabad, India, 29-30 January 2007) organized by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Food and Agriculture Organization ...

Jan 2007
Twenty in Ten – Facts sheet

President Bush asked congress and America's scientists, farmers, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to join him in pursuing the goal of reducing U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next ten years – Twenty in ...

Jan 2007
Bioenergy: facts and figures

This document issued by the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) Secretariat illustrates “the basics” of bioenergy.GBEP is committed to promoting bioenergy for sustainable development. Bioenergy is a sustainable energy source only if its entire production chain ...

Jan 2007
Biofuels and their environmental performance

The development of biofuel pathways is closely associated with targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transport sector.Well-to-wheel assessments indicate that the use of automotive fuels of vegetable origin yield have ...

Jan 2007
Some insights in the effect of growing bioenergy demand on global food security and natural resources

Growing crops for biofuels is often criticized because of its direct competition for land for food production. The recent price increases on world food markets are partly a result of this competition. For instance, cereals ...

Jan 2007
Global trends in sustainable energy investment 2007 - analysis of trends and issues in the financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency in OECD and developing countries

C. Greenwood, A. Hohler, M. Liebreich, V. Sonntag-O’Brien, E. Usher This report was commissioned by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) under its Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative and was produced ...

Jan 2007
Betting on biofuels

The emerging biofuel industry is attractive to many companies but full of uncertainty.Major factors affecting the industry’s profitability – feedstock costs, regulation, and technologies – are in flux.Despite these uncertainties, waiting to enter might be ...

Jan 2007
Agricultural outlook 2007-2016

The Agricultural Outlook is a collaborative effort of the OECD in Paris and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome. Its main purpose is to produce an updated annual ten-year ...

Jan 2007
International bioenergy trade - Scenario study on international biomass market in 2020

This research was carried out between December 2004 and December 2007 as a part of the group project “The EU’s forest energy resources, market of energy technology and international bioenergy trade” coordinated by the Finnish ...

Jan 2007
International trade in biofuels: Good for development? And good for environment?

Biofuels are heating up debates and energising activities on many policy fronts. On the surface, they offer significant opportunities to pursue environment and development goals both globally and domestically. There are both synergies and trade-offs ...

Jan 2007
Good practice guidelines

Modern biomass, and the resulting useful forms of bioenergy produced from it, are anticipated by many advocates to provide a significant contribution to the global primary energy supply of many IEA member countries during the ...

Jan 2007
IDA at Work: Energy - Improving services for the poor

Energy services are vital for economic development and improvements in the standard of living for the world’s poor. Agriculture, industry, commerce and household access to energy underpin growth in productivity.This booklet describes how the International ...

Jan 2007
Opportunities and risks arising from the use of bioenergy for food security in Latin America

This document, which was prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, seeks to discuss some important aspects of the debate on the ...

Jan 2007
Bioenergy: objectives–technology (Bioenergy Barometer)

The biofuels market is not a market like the others because its development is closely tied to its total or partial exemption from the tax on petroleum products. Moreover, numerous EU member countries have not ...

Jan 2007
Review of the EU fuel quality directive

The European Commission presented its proposal for the revision of the « Fuel Quality Directive » 98/70 defining future EU quality standards on 31 January 2007. This has far reaching implications for biodiesel and biofuels ...

Jan 2007
The ethanol fact book - A compilation of information about fuel ethanol

The Clean Fuels Development Coalition is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of alternative fuels and technologies to improve air quality and reduce dependence on imported oil. The broad CFDC membership includes ethanol producers, ...

Jan 2007
Overview of recent developments in sustainable biomass certification - Draft for comments

Copernicus Institute for Sustainable DevelopmentEnvironment and Natural Resources Service, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsOeko-InstitutThe objective of this paper is to give a comprehensive outline of initiatives on biomass certification from different viewpoints ...

Dec 2006
Potential of carbon payments for bioenergy

Agriculture around the world is already mitigating climate change through the increased growing of crops and trees. But much more can be done to bring agriculture into the center of climate change mitigation and to ...

Dec 2006
Developing bioenergy: a win-win approach that can serve the poor and the environment

The promise of bioenergy is that it may help cope with rising energy prices, address environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, and offer new income and employment to farmers and rural areas. In principle, there ...

Dec 2006
Brazil’s experience with bioenergy

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of ethanol, a biofuel used mainly in automobiles as an additive or alternative to gasoline. In the mid-1970s the country undertook a major program to produce ethanol, and since ...

Dec 2006
Biofuels and the global food balance

Rising world fuel prices, the growing demand for energy, and concerns about global warming are the key factors driving the increasing interest in renewable energy sources, and in biofuels in particular. But some policymakers and ...

Dec 2006
Bioenergy in Europe: experiences and prospects

Although Europe is a relatively small producer of ethanol (2.6 percent of world production in 2005), it produces a sizable share of the world’s biodiesel (88 percent of world production in 2005). Production started in ...

Dec 2006
Bioenergy and the poor

Biomass is a primary source of energy for close to 2.4 billion people in developing countries. Easily available to many of the world’s poor, biomass provides vital and affordable energy for cooking and space heating. ...

Dec 2006
Bioenergy and agriculture: promises and challenges

This document contains an overview of main promises and challenges of bioenergy that in recent years has drawn attention as a sustainable energy source that may help cope with rising energy prices, address environmental concerns ...

Dec 2006
Bioenergy in Europe: experiences and prospects

Although Europe is a relatively small producer of ethanol (2.6 percent of world production in 2005), it produces a sizable share of the world’s biodiesel (88 percent of world production in 2005). Production started in ...

Dec 2006
Notes from the Sustainable Biofuels Stakeholder Meeting of November 28th

A multi-stakeholder meeting on Sustainable Biofuels was held at the EPFL in Lausanne on 28 November 2006 to investigate the potential for developing internationally accepted and implementable standards for sustainable biofuels. This document summarizes the ...

Nov 2006
Challenges and opportunities for developing countries in producing biofuels

The production of energy from biomass involves a range of technologies, including solid combustion, gasification and fermentation. These technologies produce liquid and gas fuels from a diverse set of biological resources – traditional crops (sugar ...

Nov 2006
Convergence of energy and agriculture: implications for research and policy

Access to an adequate energy supply at reasonable cost is crucial for sustained economic growth. Unfortunately, oil prices and the need to import from politically unstable countries lowers the reliability of the US energy supply ...

Nov 2006
Economic effects of the production of biodiesel for use as fuel

In no other country of the EU has the production and consumption of fatty acid methyl ester grown as strongly as in Germany. Policy decisions are the major factors behind the success of biodiesel, mainly ...

Nov 2006
Sustainable international bioenergy trade: securing supply and demand - Technology report

This document summarizes the main results and the direct input from all the Task 40 members, and addresses bioenergy trade from the current Task 40 member countries’ point of view.The aim of this technology report ...

Nov 2006
Linking trade, climate change and energy

Reversing global warming requires citizen action and corporate responsibility, public and private investment and the implementation of effective regulatory regimes. While in the past, the economy vs. environment debate has hampered progress on the environment, ...

Nov 2006
The EU strategy on biofuels: from field to fuel

This report considers whether the EU Biofuels Directive is proving effective as a means of increasing the biofuels content of road transport energy.Development of biofuels in the EU can both reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ...

Nov 2006
Energy & Climate - A contribution to the dialogue on long term cooperative action

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Focus Area Energy and Climate offers the following thought piece as a contribution to the dialogue on long-term cooperative action on climate change.This document offers some initial ...

Nov 2006
WTO disciplines and biofuels: opportunities and constraints in the creation of a global marketplace

This paper examines how the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) might apply to the biofuels sector. We emphasize “might” because this is a topic that has not yet been addressed in great detail ...

Oct 2006
Specific environmental effects of trade liberalization: sugar

This paper is the second in a series assessing the sustainability of any agricultural production increases that result from trade liberalization achieved through a conclusion to the WTO Doha Development Round of negotiations on agriculture. ...

Oct 2006
WTO disciplines and biofuels: opportunities and constraints in the creation of a global marketplace

Producing fuel from agricultural crops has already raised questions about the impacts on the supply of food and land. What has received less attention is the shift that would result in the location of feedstock ...

Oct 2006
Biofuels – At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in the United States

This report examines government support for ethanol and biodiesel in the United States. Current government subsidy policies at the federal, state and, to the extent possible, local level have been surveyed. This analysis forms part ...

Oct 2006
CDM and biofuels - Can the CDM assist biofuel production and deployment?

The Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol provides an opportunity to direct financing to projects in developing countries that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The current portfolio of over 800 projects includes several different renewable ...

Oct 2006
Biodiesel and other biofuels. Abridged version of the UFOP report 2005/2006. Tax regulations, market development and R&B for biodiesel

This is the abridged version of the UFOP report 2005/2006 that analyses tax regulations, market development and R & B in the German case study. The UFOP believes that the main factors for political motivation ...

Oct 2006
Biofuels production, trade and sustainable development: emerging issues

This paper seeks to provide a preliminary identification of the main sustainable development issues involved in the debate around production and trade in biofuels.The paper is organised as follows.Chapter 2 provides a brief description of ...

Sep 2006
Draft environmental standards for biofuels

Demand for biofuels derived from oilseeds and starch/sugar crops is expected to grow rapidly over the next 10-20 years as a result of a combination of high fossil fuel prices and concerted policies promoting biofuels ...

Jul 2006
Global Energy Security - St. Petersburg plan of action

Developed at St. Petersburg in 2006, this document outlines key commitments of the G8 Countries on energy security, including:Increasing transparency, predictability and stability of global energy markets;Improving the investment climate in the energy sector;Enhancing energy ...

Jul 2006
Criteria for sustainable biomass production – Final Report

The project group “Sustainable Production of Biomass” has been commissioned by the Interdepartmental Programme Management Energy Transition to formulate sustainability criteria for the production and processing of biomass for energy, fuels and chemistry. In this ...

Jul 2006
The real biofuel cycles

This paper analyzes energy efficiency of the industrial corn-ethanol cycle and brackets energy efficiency of the switchgrass-cellulosic ethanol cycle. In particular, it critically reviews the Report by Farrell et al., Ethanol Can Contribute to Energy ...

Jul 2006
Promotion and use of biofuels in the United Kingdom - UK report to European Commission under Article 4 of the Biofuels Directive

This report fulfils the UK’s obligation to the report to the European Commission by 1 July 2006 on the effectiveness of UK Government support for biofuels during the calendar year 2005, as required by Article ...

Jun 2006
Biofuels in Europe – perspectives and policy approaches

This document contains a presentation by meó Consulting Team during the International Conference on “Biofuels for Transportation – Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture, Energy, and Security in the 21st Century” that was held ...

Jun 2006
Biofuels in the European Union - A vision for 2030 and beyond

The expected growth of the biofuels market and the development of new transformation pathways make it timely to investigate new integrated refining schemes. The co-production of fuels, heat & power and co-products in integrated biorefineries ...

May 2006
Liberalisation of trade in renewable energy and associated technologies: biodiesel, solar thermal and geothermal energy

This paper, the second in a series, examines the implications of liberalising trade in three forms of renewable energy: biodiesel, solar-thermal water heaters, and geothermal energy systems. Eliminating tariffs on renewable energy and associated goods ...

May 2006
European biofuel policies in retrospect

Despite the benefits of biofuels in the fields of agriculture, security of energy supply and the environment, barriers to the use of biofuels are still substantial in India and South-East Asia. There is no financing ...

May 2006
Renewable energy sources in figures - national and international development

The German Federal Ministry for the Environment agreed to set up a Working Group on Renewable Energies/Statistics (AGEE-Stat) with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer ...

May 2006
Biomass energy and bioenergy trade: historic developments in Brazil and current opportunities

Brazil has tradition and a significant potential on biomass production. The historical importance of biomass energy in Brazil is due to a set of factors, including (i) the size of the country and the availability ...

Apr 2006
Bioenergy trade and regional development: the case of bioethanol in Southern Africa

This paper analyses the prospects for international bioenergy trade within the context of regional integration and sustainable development in the region of southern Africa, focusing on the particular case of bioethanol made from sugar cane ...

Mar 2006
An EU strategy for biofuels

In the EU, transport is responsible for an estimated 21% of all greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to global warming, and the percentage is rising. In order to meet sustainability goals, in particular the ...

Feb 2006
Agricultural market impacts of future growth in the production of biofuels

The main objective of this study is to determine what impact future biofuel developments can have on agricultural commodity markets through a quantitative assessment of several scenarios based on the use of an agricultural trade ...

Feb 2006
Brazilian agroenergy plan 2006-2011

The position of the federal government as regards the future supply of energy from renewable sources has gone beyond a merely public administration issue and has become a State matter because of its comprehensiveness and ...

Jan 2006
The emerging biofuels market: regulatory, trade and development implications

The era of "easy" energy is over. Governments, intergovernmental organizations, corporations, NGOs and even individuals are asking themselves a number of questions that are crucial for the sustainable development prospects of all countries. How do ...

Jan 2006
Renewables – Global status report 2006 update

REN21 is a global policy network in which ideas are shared and action is encouraged to promote renewable energy. It provides a forum for leadership and exchange in international policy processes. It bolsters appropriate policies ...

Jan 2006
Towards better practice in smallholder palm oil production

Smallholder oil palm production has the potential to secure mutually beneficial outcomes for large and small producers and processors, enhance social and environmental sustainability at the landscape scale, ease land disputes between smallholders and large ...

Jan 2006
The promises and challenges of biofuels for the poor in developing countries

In the past several years the changing world energy situation has generated intensive discussion about biofuels, much of it a promising source of environment-friendly energy that would also be a boon to the world’s farmers. ...

Jan 2006
Energy crops: current status and future prospects

Energy crops currently contribute a relatively small proportion to the total energy produced from biomass each year, but the proportion is set to grow over the next few decades. This paper reviews the current status ...

Jan 2006
World energy technology outlook – WETO H2

As the age of cheap energy resources comes to its end, strong political commitment is needed to preserve European competitiveness and to combat climate change. The WETO-H2 report (World Energy Technology Outlook-2050) places the European ...

Jan 2006
Towards a Southern African NGO position on biofuels (brochure)

Southern Africa is a region of great poverty interspersed with pockets of wealth. The South African economy is one of those pockets but contained within the nation are millions of people living without access to ...

Jan 2006
EU Biomass action plan

This action plan, issued at the end of 2005 by the European Commission, sets out measures to increase the development of biomass energy from wood, wastes and agricultural crops by creating market-based incentives to its ...

Dec 2005
Potential for biofuels for transport in developing countries

This report is by the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP), a joint programme of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, to help developing countries assess the potential of biofuels in ...

Oct 2005
Liquid biofuels for transportation in Tanzania

Tanzania relies exclusively on imports for its oil needs. The value of Tanzania’s import increased from US $ 1,661.4 mio. in 2002 to US $ 2,145.3 mio. in 2003. This is largely attributed to an ...

Aug 2005
Status report biodiesel - Biodiesel production and marketing in Germany 2005

Germany heads the league table for biofuel. With a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes in 2005 and 2 million tonnes in 2006, the target quantity – relating to the diesel market (total sales of approx. ...

Jun 2005
Biodiesel initiatives in Germany

Regarding the production and usage of biodiesel in Germany the ifeu – Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg was charged by VITO, Belgium, to create a survey, within the European project PREMIA 2005 is ...

May 2005
Advancing bioenergy for sustainable development - Guideline for policymakers and investors (Joint UNDP/World Bank)

This report is part of Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP)’s work programme on the development of renewable energy resources.It provides a broad review of the issues that a policymaker or project developer may face ...

Apr 2005
From Hong Kong to CSD. Making the multilateral trading system supportive of the transition to a sustainable energy future

International energy use and trade are currently in a state of flux, with issues related to both security and sustainability driving global adjustment in energy trade and policies. Trade in fossil fuels (oil) is characterised ...

Mar 2005
Criteria for assessing environmental, economic, and social aspects of biofuels in developing countries

Preliminary work on the potential of energy crops in developing countries (DCs) indicates an order of magnitude similar to the total transport fuel use of the EU-25 and the USA.If and to what extent this ...

Feb 2005
Markets and policies in Western and Eastern European countries

This report, elaborated for VIEWLS – CLEAR VIEWS on CLEAN FUELS (a European Commission-supported project), describes the development of the European biofuels market. It identifies the current political and economic conditions in the examined countries ...

Jan 2005
Gleneagles plan of action - climate change, clean energy and sustainable development

Developed at Gleneagles 2005, this document outlines key commitments of the G8 countries on climate change, clean energy and sustainable development issues, including: Transforming the way we use energy;Powering a cleaner future;Promoting research and development;Financing the ...

Jan 2005
Policy initiative schemes and benefits of biofuel promotion in Germany - Current status of legislation and production

This presentation was delivered by Mr. Bockey on the occasion of the “Conference on biofuels. Challenges for Asian future”, that took place in the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, on 30 and 31 August ...

Aug 2004
Techno-economic assessment of biofuel production in the European Union

In regard to the short and middle term options, biofuels seem to have an important role in the European Union with increasing production levels during the last years. Moreover, at the end of 2003, a ...

Aug 2004
Biofuel for transport

While biofuels production costs are fairly easy to measure, the benefits are difficult to quantify. But this does not necessarily mean that the benefits are not substantial. Increasing the use of biofuels can improve energy ...

Apr 2004
Carbon emission and mitigation cost comparisons between fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable energy resources for electricity generation

This study was conducted to compare the electricity generation costs of a number of current commercial technologies with technologies expected to become commercially available within the coming decade or so. The amount of greenhouse gas ...

Apr 2003
A guide to emissions trading

Since its inclusion in the Kyoto Protocol—as one of three market-based mechanisms to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the prospect of an international emissions trading system has attracted wide interest among policy makers, industrialists and others.In ...

Feb 2003
The energy balance of corn ethanol: an update

Ethanol production in the United States grew from just a few million gallons in the mid-1970s to over 1.7 billion gallons in 2001, spurred by national energy security concerns, new Federal gasoline standards, and government ...

Jul 2002
Macroeconomic evaluation of rape cultivation for biodiesel production in Germany

Biodiesel has been produced for the German market since 1993. The raw material is rapeseed oil that is chemically transesterified. As with other renewable energy sources (RES), the cultivation of RES rape for biodiesel production ...

Mar 2002
Modelling the transition to a biofuel economy in Australia

In the international and Australian context there are two biomass based liquid transportation fuels that might replace petrol and diesel. These are ethanol and methanol although bio-diesel is also a well-developed technology. Ethanol is viewed ...

Apr 2000
Sugarcane production, processing and marketing in Tanzania

Sugarcane is one of the most important food and commercial crops of Tanzania. Its production is concentrated mainly in three regions: Morogoro, Kagera and Kilimanjaro.Most of the sugar produced in the country is for home ...

May 1998
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