Greenhouse Gas Implications of Land Use and Land Conversion to Biofuel Crops

Abstract

Globally, there is a large interest in finding renewable fuels to substitute for petroleum- based fuels, with the dual purpose of enhancing energy security and mitigating climate change. Biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are potential options for meeting these needs in the transportation sector (IPCC 2007). Volatile oil prices and uncertainty about sustained oil supplies have added a sense of immediacy to the search for fossil fuel sub- stitutes. In response to these pressures, a number of countries have already set targets for substituting biofuels for diesel and gasoline, with proportions ranging from 5% to 20%, to be met at various times within the period 2010-2030.