Showing posts with label biofuel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biofuel. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Publication: Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies by Chris Charles, Ivetta Gerasimchuk, Richard Bridle, Tom Moerenhout, Elisa Asmelash, Tara Laan (17 Apr 2013)

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IISD Publications Centre

Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies

» Chris Charles, Ivetta Gerasimchuk, Richard Bridle, Tom Moerenhout, Elisa Asmelash, Tara Laan, IISD, 2013.Paper, 129 pages, copyright: IISD
Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies analyzes a range of costs and benefits associated with European Union (EU) conventional biofuel policies. The study provides a comprehensive overview of economic and non-economic costs and benefits of the EU, quantifying them where possible using estimates available from public accounts, state-of-the-art literature and author calculations. The paper identifies the main cost of the industry as subsidy schemes, which in 2011 were estimated to be EUR 9.3 – 10.7 billion. The study examines the key benefits generated by the industry, including rural development, greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and improved energy security, concluding that the social benefits of EU biofuel policies in meeting these policy objectives has, in many instances, been marginal, unclear, or in need of greater monitoring and elaboration. The European Union’s proposed tightening of the current emission standard for passenger vehicles is discussed as an alternative, viable low-cost policy measure to achieve the public policy objectives for which biofuels are subsidized. The report provides recommendations to EU policy-makers on reforming subsidy policies and improving data recording in order to enhance the policy formulation process.
Accompanying this report is a Technical Annex that contains supporting research material and data.





















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Friday, December 14, 2012

Vietnamese Updates: ADB-Funded Biogas Plants to Tackle Viet Nam's Growing Rural Waste Threat (13 Dec 2012)

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ADB-Funded Biogas Plants to Tackle Viet Nam's Growing Rural Waste Threat

 
Date: 13 December 2012
Countries: Viet Nam
Converting this waste into biogas and fertilizer will help prevent disease outbreaks, cut harmful gas emissions, lower costs for farmers and provide new supplies of clean energy.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $74 million to fund thousands of biogas plants across Viet Nam to help reduce the country’s mounting piles of rural waste, which are harming the environment and endangering health.

“A boom in livestock production has seen a sharp rise in the discharge of untreated waste, which has serious consequences for health and the environment,” said Agustina Musa, Financial Management Specialist in ADB’s Southeast Asia Department. “Converting this waste into biogas and fertilizer will help prevent disease outbreaks, cut harmful gas emissions, lower costs for farmers and provide new supplies of clean energy.”

The Low Carbon Agricultural Support Project will process agricultural and rural household waste into biogas and bio-slurry, a clean organic fertilizer. Data from a similar ADB project in the People’s Republic of China shows that biogas plant investments lower energy costs, raise organic fertilizer use, and boost household incomes annually by about 15%. The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of 150,000 tons annually.

More than 36,000 small, medium and large-sized biogas plants are expected to be built and the project will also raise awareness about environmentally-safe, climate-friendly waste management practices using commune pilot demonstrations, short training courses, study tours, radio and television programs. and information materials.

The project will also provide credit lines through financial intermediaries, which will allow farmers and livestock enterprises to access financing to establish and improve biogas infrastructure. It will also provide incentives to biogas stakeholders for the development of carbon markets, aid government efforts to access markets for carbon credits, and support greater private sector involvement in the management of the industry.

The project will run for six years with an expected completion date of December 2018. ADB’s loan is from its concessional Asian Development Fund, with the Government of Viet Nam and state-owned financial firms contributing a combined $10 million.

For more information about the Low Carbon Agricultural Support Project:
http://www.adb.org/projects/45406-001/details

News source:
http://www.adb.org/news/viet-nam/adb-funded-biogas-plants-tackle-viet-nams-growing-rural-waste-threat

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Publications: Cultivating Governance: Cautionary tales for biofuel policy reformers by IISD Publications Centre (5 Dec 2012)

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IISD Publications Centre


Cultivating Governance: Cautionary tales for biofuel policy reformers


» Ivetta Gerasimchuk, Richard Bridle, Chris Charles, Tom Moerenhout, IISD, 2012.Paper, 22 pages, copyright: IISD
The policy brief analyzes the current developments around the emerging U-turns on government support to biofuels internationally. Based on desk research as well as interviews with stakeholders, the policy brief seeks to provide guidance for biofuel policy reformers on good governance principles in view of pressures from different interest groups.
The brief's key messages are universal, but may be of special relevance to policy-makers in the EU in light of the European Commission's proposal of October 17, 2012 to limit the use of food-based biofuels to 5 per cent until 2020 in contributing to the 10 per cent target of renewable energy in transport.

Key messages of the policy brief are:

  • Biofuel policies have been haunted by mismatches between their stated aims (climate change mitigation, innovative "green" development and energy security) and "Realpolitik" objectives (supporting agricultural constituencies). Such mismatches should be avoided. In particular, resorting to allegedly environmental causes for protection of national agriculture is at odds with the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
  • In addressing the frequently cited objectives of government support to biofuels, preference over subsidies should be given to first-best (i.e., market-based) solutions, including, but not limited to, phasing out support to fossil fuels and pricing carbon effectively through carbon caps and/or taxes.
  • Governments need to assure good governance and base their decisions on evidence from independent research. In cases of uncertainty about biofuels' performance, especially with respect to indirect land use change and the food vs. fuel debate, decisions should be guided by the Precautionary Principle.
  • Governments should phase out support to biofuels that a) compete with food or animal-feed uses for the same feedstock crops and/or b) have negative impacts on the environment.

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