Search Climate Insights Directory

This report examines the potential of the Croton megalocarpus Hutch tree in Kenya to enhance farmers' livelihoods and contribute to various economic sectors within the framework of a bioeconomy, specifically analyzing the business model and value chain of the company EFK.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes Thailand's strategic promotion of a bioeconomy to overcome the middle-income trap, reduce social inequality, and mitigate environmental impacts. It focuses on the industrial use of sugarcane and cassava to create value-added products like biofuels and bioplastics, while highlighting regulatory hurdles, land and water scarcity, and social issues such as low wages and food insecurity.

A statement from Dan Lashof of the World Resources Institute criticizing a $3 trillion U.S. House of Representatives recovery package for failing to provide support to the clean energy industry and its workers despite significant job losses.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a statement supporting the Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act, an emergency stimulus bill introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on March 23, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

A 2020 fact sheet from the Centro de Movilidad Sostenible detailing fuel quality standards (specifically sulfur levels and octane ratings) and emission standards for light-duty vehicles (LDV) across several Latin American and Caribbean countries.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between the bioeconomy and the rapid growth of electrification technologies, such as solar PV, wind, and batteries. It categorizes these interactions as competitive, complementary, or synergistic, arguing that while electrification may disrupt some biofuel markets, it also provides opportunities for decarbonizing heavy industry and improving agricultural value chains in low-income countries.

This executive summary from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the interactions between the bioeconomy—defined as sectors based on biomass production and processing—and the rapid cost reductions and deployment of variable renewable energy (VRE), specifically solar photovoltaics, wind turbines, and lithium-ion batteries. The document categorizes these interactions as competitive, complementary, or synergistic, arguing that bioeconomy policy must be designed to integrate with and benefit from electrification to achieve deep decarbonization.

The Stockholm Environment Institute reports a strategic dilemma for Sweden's road freight decarbonization: while biofuels are the most viable tool for meeting the 2030 goal of a 70% emission reduction, electrification is the more cost-effective long-term strategy for complete decarbonization by 2045. Stakeholder scenarios suggest that while battery electric trucks will dominate short-haul and urban delivery, electric road systems and hydrogen fuel cells are better suited for long-haul and heavy freight. The report warns that over-investing in biofuels for near-term targets may slow the necessary transition to electrification infrastructure and increase long-term costs.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) issued a letter of support to the New York State Division of Weights & Measures advocating for the adoption of rules allowing the sale of E15 fuel (15 percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) within New York State.

Nobina issued a SEK500m (USD54m) senior secured green bond on February 13, 2019, to finance electric buses, biofuel-powered vehicles, and charging infrastructure. This marks the first green bond issuance from the Swedish public transport sector.

This executive summary report, produced by WWF South Africa in collaboration with IIASA, assesses the current and future potential for sustainable aviation biofuel feedstock production in sub-Saharan Africa. Using a systems analysis approach and RSB sustainability criteria, the study identifies 'REMAIN' land—areas not required for food security or environmental conservation—and evaluates the technical potential of various feedstocks to meet a minimum 60% greenhouse gas (GHG) savings criterion. The report concludes that while significant technical potential exists, it is likely to decrease by 2050 due to population growth, food demand, and climate change.

This policy brief summarizes a three-year study using an ecosystem services framework to assess the environmental and socioeconomic trade-offs of biofuel production and household use in Malawi, Mozambique, and Swaziland.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues for the mainstreaming of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in South Africa to address risks to food security, water supply, and rural employment. The document proposes a transition toward agro-ecology and conservation agriculture (CA) to restore degraded land and protect strategic water source areas, suggesting that these labour-intensive practices can create new jobs in a 'Catchment Economy' and within the biofuel sector.

This policy brief, prepared by the Institute for Economic Justice for the Labour Caucus in the Jobs Summit Economic Sector Interventions working group, outlines opportunities and policy requirements for transitioning South Africa's manufacturing sector toward a low-carbon economy. It identifies specific growth areas in renewable energy, transport, agriprocessing, water, and the circular economy, while emphasizing the need for a 'just transition' that protects workers and includes the informal economy.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) criticizes a June 30, 2018, EPA report for failing to compare the environmental impacts of biofuels with those of petroleum, arguing that such a comparison is necessary to accurately assess the benefits of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a case study of Thailand's emerging bioeconomy as of 2017. It examines the government's strategy to transition from commodity exports to high-value bio-based products, the roles of the private sector and state, and the socio-economic implications for smallholder farmers.

This briefing discusses the challenges of meeting 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) standards, proposing high-octane, low-carbon fuels as a cost-effective compliance pathway for the automotive industry and consumers.

This briefing describes a study by the Climate Policy Initiative, PUC-Rio, and Fundação Getulio Vargas on the impact of flex-fuel vehicles on the retail fuel market in Brazil. It highlights how the adoption of flex-cars, which can run on any mix of gasoline or ethanol, has reduced fuel prices for both flex-car owners and those driving gasoline-only vehicles, supporting Brazil's goals to increase sustainable biofuel consumption under its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

This research paper examines how the adoption of flex-fuel vehicles (bi-fuel cars) influenced price competition between ethanol and gasoline retail markets in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 2002 and 2008. Using a theoretical model and panel data from fuel stations, the authors find that increased flex-fuel penetration reduced retail prices and margins for both fuels, though the effect was more pronounced for ethanol. The study concludes that innovations increasing consumer choice can benefit all consumers, including those who do not adopt the new technology.

This case study describes the 'Green Business Area' in Konseguela, Mali, a pilot project completed in 2016 by GERES. The project provides a dedicated site for rural businesses powered by a 100% renewable energy mini-grid combining solar photovoltaics and locally produced agro-fuels.