Under request of DG ENER and CLIMA, the JRC organised in November 2010 an expert consultation, grouping world-recognised academics and experts in the field on Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) effects caused by increased use of biofuels. This consultation aimed at discussing the main uncertainties related to ILUC estimations and to answer to the questions addressed in the public consultation.
The two days discussions focused in particular on the following items:
1. Land use change and greenhouse gas emissions (methodologies, datasets and uncertainties to locate ILUC and calculate GHG emissions)
2. Agro-economic modelling and uncertainties
3. Policy options
The final discussions addressed policy issues, in particular:-
• Does the modelling provide a good basis for determining how significant indirect land use change is?
• Are the impacts significant?
• Can we differentiate between bioethanol/biodiesel, feedstocks, geographical areas, production methods?
The experts unanimously agreed that, even when uncertainties are high, all indicators point towards the existence of a significant ILUC effect and the magnitude of this effect is crop-specific. The sustainability criteria in the Renewable Energy and Fuel quality Directives limit Direct Land Use Change, but they are ineffective to avoid ILUC, and therefore additional policy measures are necessary.
The use of a factor which attributes a quantity of greenhouse gas emissions to crop-specific biofuels was the favourite option discussed, but it was also agreed that policies should incentivise good agricultural practices, land management C-mitigation strategies and intensification on pasture lands.
On the other hand, the experts agreed that the increase of the GHG threshold will have only a limited effect on ILUC reduction.
MARELLI Luisa;
MULLIGAN Declan;
EDWARDS Robert;
2011-12-02
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC64429
978-92-79-20240-7 (print),
978-92-79-20241-4,
1018-5593 (print),
1831-9424,
EUR 24816 EN,
OP LB-NA-24816-EN-C (print),
OP LB-NA-24816-EN-N,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC64429,
10.2788/19870 (print),
10.2788/20381,
