achieving credible iluc mitigation in eu biofuel policy
DESCRIPTION
This presentation addresses the sustainability challenge of indirect land use change (ILUC). Ecofys together with WWF and EPFL have developed a certification module to demonstrate and claim biofuels with a low risk of indirect land use change. Daan Peters, Senior Consultant Bioenergy at Ecofys, presented the methodology and possible policy implications at the Biofuels International Conference 2013 in Antwerp.TRANSCRIPT
Daan Peters - Biofuels International Conference 11/09/2013
Achieving credible ILUC mitigation in
EU biofuel policy
© ECOFYS | |
Ecofys
• Founded in 1984 as spin-off from University Utrecht
• Consulting in renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate
change
• 200 employees, offices in Utrecht, Brussels,
Berlin, Cologne, London, Beijing and Portland
Worked on ILUC since 2008:
Mitigation: Low Indirect Impact Biofuels
Quantification: 2013-2015 ILUC quantification
project for the EC
Policy: advising wide range of clients
2013 Daan Peters
© ECOFYS | |
Presentation content
# What are ILUC-free biofuels
# Policy support for ILUC-free biofuels
# Proving that biofuels are ILUC-free
# How certification works in practice
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• Biofuels depend on public endorsement
• Sustainability must be guaranteed including ILUC
• ILUC-free biofuels are:
Produced additionally without displacing current
agricultural production
or
produced from wastes or residues without displacing
current non-bioenergy uses of these materials
We need ILUC-free biofuels
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Now (short term solution) Future (long term solution)
2
Expand the use of ILUC-free biofuels
Only solution which individual farmers
can influence
1
Prevent direct LUC
Worldwide and for all land using sectors
ILUC mitigation strategies
3
Limit the use of high ILUC risk biofuels
‘waterbed effect’ if not combined with 2
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1. Unused or abandoned lands
2. Yield increasing above Business As Usual yield
development
3. Wastes/residues with limited existing non-bioenergy uses
4. Sustainable intensification: integrating biofuel crops with
existing production (sugarcane and cattle)
5. Intensification: biofuel crops on fallow land as part of
crop rotation
6. Aquatic biomass
Options to produce ILUC-free biofuels
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How to stimulate ILUC-free biofuels
• Cap on conventional biofuels is one size fits all
• Can be made smarter by enabling certified
ILUC-free conventional biofuels to be supplied
beyond the cap
• ILUC-factors: certified ILUC-free conventional
biofuels should get a factor of zero
• Subtarget for certified low ILUC conventional
biofuels
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Proving that biofuels are ILUC free
• Low Indirect Impact Biofuels (LIIB) certification module
• Developed by WWF, Ecofys and EPFL
• Enables farmers to get certified for ILUC-free biomass
production
• Add-on to existing certification schemes (e.g. ‘RSB LIIB’,
‘ISCC EU LIIB’)
LIIB is the only available module to certify low ILUC
biofuels, first voluntary schemes interested in using it.
© ECOFYS | |
Farmer level vs. regional level
• LIIB certifies ILUC free biofuels at farm level
• Regional level approach (e.g. land zoning) would
prevent direct land use change but not indirect land
use change
• Stringent environmental rules prevent direct LUC but not
indirect LUC
LIIB enables individual farmers to say ‘my biofuel
crop production does not cause ILUC’
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© ECOFYS | |
LIIB is reaching maturity
• Version 0 is published and tested by independent auditors
• Tests in the EU ongoing, commissioned by German
government
• Version 1 expected in 2014
• LIIB is credible and ready, can be used
• Current version enables certification of low ILUC biomass
(1) on unused land, (2) through yield increase, (3) from
sugarcane-cattle integration, and (4) waste and residues
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I. Cultivation on unused land
• ILUC free because no existing agricultural production is displaced
• LIIB methodology can be used for any crop
How it works:
1. Farmer submits project application and must demonstrate that
land is unused during 3 previous years;
2. Can use Responsible Cultivation Area (RCA) methodology for this
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RCA methodology to identify unused land
1. Site Pre-Selection
Identify promising areas
2. Desk-Based Site Assessment
Evaluate suitability based on existing data
Define information needs field work
3. On-Site Assessment
Ground Truth Earlier Findings
Fill in Knowledge Gaps
HCV Carbon stocks Land rights
Agricultural Suitability Sustainability Availability/Displacement
Agricultural Suitability Sustainability Availability/Displacement
4. Evaluation
Evaluate whether site qualifies as RCA
Agricultural Suitability Sustainability Availability/Displacement
Displacement effects Suitability
HCV Carbon stocks Land rights Displacement effects Suitability
HCV Carbon stocks Land rights Displacement effects Suitability
HCV Carbon stocks Land rights Displacement effects Suitability
Pilots in
Romania,
Brazil,
Indonesia and
Mozambique
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II. Yield increase
• Additional yield increase above Business as Usual yield
development is ILUC-free
• LIIB methodology can be applied to any crop
• EU rapeseed yields have increased but still have further
growth potential
How it works:
1. Farmer submits project application to scheme owner
2. Farmer demonstrates measures likely to achieve yield
increase at least >20% than baseline
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Measuring quantity of LIIB biofuels from yield
increase (1/2)
Baseline:
1. Determine baseline yield for the current year
a) Average of last 5 yields on site or:
b) Expected current year yield of similar producers
2. Determine average annual yield growth for last 10
years for similar producers nearby
3. Set baseline
Measuring LIIB quantity vs. baseline:
measuring actual yields of the project. All biomass
above the baseline is eligible for LIIB certification.
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Measuring quantity of LIIB biofuels from yield
increase (2/2)
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1a is the current year yield of the LIIB applicant farmer based on the average yield during the last 5 years
1b is the expected current year yield of farmers of the same crop in the same region
Red dotted line is yield trend line of the same crop in the same region in previous 10 years
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III. Sugar cane-cattle integration
• ILUC free because no existing agricultural production is
displaced
• Integration can be used for any crop but currently
developed for sugarcane-cattle
How it works:
1. Two cows per hectare instead of one, freeing up land
for sugarcane while feeding second cow with bagasse;
2. Quantity of ethanol that can be LIIB certified to be
calculated with calculation sheet developed by the
University of Sao Paulo;
Tested in Brazil with Conservation International
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IV. Wastes & residues
Low ILUC if sufficient quantity is not yet used
for non-bioenergy purposes
How it works:
• Feedstock must be listed on a positive list;
• Feedstock can be placed on the positive list
if a surplus quantity exist in excess of its
current uses
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Low ILUC residue study for DE, NL and DK
• Cereal straw, woody residues, corn cob,
UCO: 60Mtoe EU biofuel production
potential
• Maximum harvest rate to protect soil
quality
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LIBB certification is cost effective
• Investment costs should be paid back by
additional production, barriers non-economic
• Small additional certification cost because part of
a more general sustainability certification
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Contact details
Daan Peters
Senior Consultant Bioenergy
+31 (0)30 662 37 10