The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates in a report that global sustainable biofuels provided more than 4% of total transport energy supply in 2022, but their deployment is not accelerating fast enough.
Production would need to triple by 2030 to put the world’s energy system on track towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
Liquid biofuels provided more than 4% of the total transport energy supply in 2022, but their deployment is not accelerating fast enough. Moreover, more than 80% of total biofuel production occurs in just a few countries, despite vast unlocked potential in many parts of the world. Deployment is constrained by challenges such as the availability of the feedstock used to make biofuels, the lack of consensus on sustainability criteria, and the pace at which related technology has been commercialised.
The report aims to guide the Alliance’s efforts to expand biofuel adoption. It suggests that countries can expand sustainable biofuel production and usage by designing long-term strategies, fostering investment, supporting innovation, securing affordable supplies, addressing sustainability concerns promptly, and encouraging international collaboration, and outlines three priority areas for the Global Biofuel Alliance to facilitate sustainable deployment in support of the global energy transition:
- Identifying and helping develop markets with high potential for sustainable biofuel production.
- Accelerating technology deployment.
- Seeking consensus on performance-based sustainability assessments and frameworks.