Biofuels may cut greenhouse gas emissions – IPCC

07 May 2007 05:10  [Source: ICIS news]

SINGAPORE (ICIS news)--Biofuels, which are projected to grow to 3% of total transport energy demand in 2030, may play an important role in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector, a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) showed.

Global greenhouse gas emissions have increased 70% between 1970 and 2004 with the largest growth (145%) from the energy supply sector, the United Nations group said in Bangkok in its third report this year.

Emissions from the transport sector grew 120% while that from industries rose 65%, it added.

Biofuels might play an important role in addressing such emissions in the transport sector, depending on their production pathway, the IPCC said.

The use of biofuels as gasoline and diesel fuel additives/substitutes was projected to grow to 3% of total transport energy demand in 2030, it added.

This could increase to about 5-10%, depending on future oil and carbon prices, improvements in vehicle efficiency and the success of technologies to use cellulose biomass, it said, adding that second generation biofuels could be available before 2030.

Biofuel blending was also shown to be environmentally effective, the IPCC said.

Carbon dioxide emissions between 2000 and 2030 from energy use were projected to grow 45-110% over that period as fossil fuels were expected to maintain their dominant position in the global energy mix to 2030 and beyond, it added.

By: Florence Tan
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