Biofuel might not the solution, it is responsible for 16 per cent more carbon emissions globally than the fossil fuels they would replace.

Furthermore, using just 3 per cent of the same land for solar would produce the same amount of energy, new study shows

By 2030 demand for biofuel crops will require land that would make it the size of the sixth largest country in terms of arable land use globally, but a new Cerulogy report on behalf of T&E shows that the environmental damage is both potentially high and twofold.

Currently, growing crops to be burned as fuel uses up 32 million hectares of land, roughly the size of Italy, to meet just four per cent of global transport energy demand. By 2030 this is set to grow by 60 per cent to 52 million hectares, or the size of France.

Biofuels are responsible globally for 16 per cent more carbon emissions than the fossil fuels they replace due to the indirect impacts of farming and deforestation. By 2030, biofuels are projected to emit 70 MtCO₂e more than the fossil fuels they replace, equivalent to the annual emissions of almost 30 million diesel cars.

Cian Delaney, biofuels campaigner at T&E: “Biofuels are a terrible climate solution and a staggering waste of land, food and millions in subsidies. Ensuring a sustainable balance between agriculture and nature is essential to tackling the climate crisis. Burning crops for fuel only pushes us further in the wrong direction.”

T&E’s analysis also shows that biofuel crops require significant amounts of freshwater. Driving a car 100 km on first generation biofuels would require on average close to 3,000 litres of water, while only twenty litres would be needed to run an electric car on solar electricity. As climate change puts increasing pressure on water supplies, this could be a major issue.

As a result, T&E is calling on governments to better safeguard against biofuels that contribute to land clearance and deforestation when making climate policies and to prioritise electrification.

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