Benefits of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard

The policy brief advocates for a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) as a technology-neutral mechanism to lower the life cycle emissions of transportation fuels. It emphasizes the necessity of 'well-to-wheels' accounting, including indirect land-use changes, to ensure genuine emission reductions. The LCFS is presented as a way to incentivize supply chain improvements, discourage high-carbon fuels like coal-to-liquids, and spur market-driven innovation in low-carbon technologies.

• A Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) requires fuel suppliers to lower the average life cycle emissions of the fuels they sell, allowing them flexibility in how they meet these targets through methods such as blending cellulosic ethanol, selling natural gas, or purchasing credits from electric utilities.
• To be effective, an LCFS must utilize a 'well-to-wheels' lifecycle analysis that includes all emissions from extraction, refining, and tailpipe, as well as indirect emissions from land-use changes caused by increased biofuel production.
• The LCFS provides a financial incentive for supply chain improvements and creates a disincentive for high-carbon fuels; for instance, coal-to-liquids technology produces nearly double the lifecycle emissions of gasoline, meaning suppliers of such fuels would face higher costs to meet the standard.
• By avoiding government mandates for specific technologies, the LCFS provides regulatory certainty that encourages investment in various low-carbon innovations, such as hydrogen fuel cells and plug-in hybrids, letting the market determine the most cost-effective solutions.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2009). Benefits of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/Federal-Low-Carbon-Fuel-Standard.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Benefits of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard. 2009. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/Federal-Low-Carbon-Fuel-Standard.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Benefits of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard |date=January 2009 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/Federal-Low-Carbon-Fuel-Standard.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2009benefits, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Benefits of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2009}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/Federal-Low-Carbon-Fuel-Standard.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }