Bring on the EVs: UN Report Urges Caution on Biofuels

A UN panel report warns governments considering biofuels projects should be extremely wary and do their homework before committing to using sources that could drastically increase greenhouse gas emissions rather than reduce them.

 

The report, provided by the UN's Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, said governments should thoroughly assess energy needs, possible climate effects, agriculture and land and water use to ensure that biofuels energy production provides environmental benefits and not more greenhouse gas emissions.

 

It also gives a boost for supporters of vehicle electrification—and yet another good reason to get the electric grid ready for electric vehicles. The report is intended to help design and implement "targets and sustainability criteria for the use of biofuels," and makes the following points about alternative technologies as well:

• Generating electricity at local power stations using wood, straw, seed oils and other crop or waste materials "is generally more energy efficient than converting biomass to liquid fuels."
• Land, including abandoned land, can be used for energy crops but could equally be used for re-forestation or solar power, which the report argues may be more efficient for turning sunlight into energy.
• In transport, modal shifts and higher fuel efficiency standards and the development of alternative technologies such as plug-in vehicles could dramatically reduce emissions in their own right.

The findings note that Brazil's biofuel production can drastically cut emissions when substituted for gasoline, from 70% to more than 100%.

 

However, energy production from some biofuels can lead to environmental disaster. The report notes that biofuels from oil palms cultivated in deforested tropical peat environments can crank up emissions to a whopping 2,000% more than fossil fuels—because of the release of carbon from the soil. However, it also notes that palm oil production on abandoned or degraded land could have a positive effect on emissions.

 

UN Environment Program (UNEP) Director Achim Steiner said, "The debate whether it is good or evil is not a rational one. Like all technologies, biofuels represent both opportunities and challenges. The way in which biofuels are produced matters in determining whether they are leading to more or less greenhouse gas emissions.

 

To sum it up, the report argues for a rational approach to a sustainable supply of biofuels, and makes it clear that how those fuels are produced makes a huge difference in how effectively they can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

   Quick Take: While the UN findings may sound drastic in some areas, what's really surprising is its moderation. Considering the agency's previous outright condemnations of the use of food crops for biofuels, its recommendation supporting biofuels from any source is an eye opener. In any event, its recognition of the importance of the alternative technologies that are synonymous with a Smart Grid is very welcome.

   UN biofuels report press release

   Yahoo News article on UN report