Biofuels - At What Cost?

This report evaluates the costs and benefits of the United Kingdom's biofuel industry and its associated support policies, focusing on employment, emissions abatement, and the role of biofuels in meeting EU renewable energy targets.

• In 2011, financial support for the UK's biofuel industry was estimated at £44-74 million for ethanol and £315-371 million for biodiesel.
• Carbon abatement costs in 2011 were estimated at £154 per tonne of CO2 avoided for UCO-based biodiesel and £115 per tonne of CO2 avoided for ethanol, while conventional biodiesel resulted in net emission increases.
• The number of direct and indirect jobs created by the UK biofuels sector in 2011 is estimated to be between 1,356 and 7,500.
• Biofuel feedstock trade is significant; bioethanol production relies heavily on corn sourced from outside the EU, primarily from the United States, whereas biodiesel primarily uses used cooking oil from the UK and Europe.

APA

Charles,, R. B. M. (2013). Biofuels - At What Cost? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-uk-biofuel-policies

Chicago

Charles,, Richard Bridle,Tom Moerenhout,Christopher. Biofuels - At What Cost? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-uk-biofuel-policies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Charles, |first1=Richard Bridle,Tom Moerenhout,Christopher |title=Biofuels - At What Cost? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=10 September 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-uk-biofuel-policies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{charles2013biofuels, author = {Charles,, Richard Bridle,Tom Moerenhout,Christopher}, title = {{Biofuels - At What Cost?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-uk-biofuel-policies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }