The oft-used battle cry for the fuel, “Biodiesel is good for the environment, the economy and energy security,” rings hollow in light of these happenings. In response, Worldwatch Institute is slated to release a paper this summer titled “Are Biofuels Sustainable?” Sustainability, as Worldwatch biofuels expert Suzanne Hunt explains it, refers in part to its economic benefits. “It is essential that the biofuels industry be developed in ways that spread the economic benefits as widely as possible, rather than replicating the disastrous concentration of wealth that has marked the petroleum industry in countries such as Nigeria and Saudi Arabia,” Hunt says.
There are many definitions and aspects to sustainability. In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as that which “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
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Several government entities are also researching how to make biofuels sustainable and are establishing criteria. In the Netherlands, a project group was commissioned to formulate sustainability criteria for the production and processing of biomass for energy, fuels and chemistry. The group submitted its final report, “Criteria for Sustainable Biomass Production,” to the Dutch government in April.
In May, the energy division of the United Nations, UN-Energy, released a report intended to provide a framework for the worldwide use of bioenergy in sustainable methods. The report, “Sustainable Energy: A Framework for Decision Makers,” was funded by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. It examines bioenergy’s relation to poverty, health, food security, agriculture, climate change, finance and trade.
Although the report emphasizes the benefits of bioenergy in reducing poverty, improving access to energy and promoting rural development, it also warns that “unless new policies are enacted to protect threatened lands, secure socially acceptable land use and steer bioenergy development in a sustainable direction overall, the environmental and social damage could in some cases outweigh the benefits.”
To ensure that benefits from biofuels are realized, the report suggests that national decision makers create bioenergy policies that take into account availability, access, stability and utilization. It also recommends that governments weigh the economic and social costs of subsidizing bioenergy sources—in particular, liquid biofuels.
Certified Sustainable
Within the United States biodiesel industry, the discussion is just beginning. In December 2006, actress Daryl Hannah; Annie Nelson, wife of country singer Willie Nelson; and Kelly King, marketing and communications director of Pacific Biodiesel, formed the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (SBA). The mission of the alliance is to establish a certification program for biodiesel production, similar to certifications for organic products, fair trade or the Green Building Rating System: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). “It will be like a seal—you’ll know it was approved,” says Director Heidi Quante, who previously worked to develop a similar roadmap to green the lifecycle of bioplastics. She adds that the certification may be similar to the LEED system, in which there are different levels of ratings. “The reason [organic and fair trade certifications] changed the marketplace is because there was a consumer demand for it,” Quante says. “I’m reaching out to the consumer to see if there is an interest, and there has been a loud ‘yes.’ We want to create a robust market for biofuel made from sustainably harvested feedstocks or waste grease. There are already so many examples of sustainable biofuels. We want to uplift, support and reward those.”
Quante expects to have principles issued by the summer. “It’s a multi-stakeholder process,” she says. “We’re hoping to have a rough draft or a template of criteria by the end of 2007. Once we have criteria, we’ll have early adopters. We’re in talks with early adopters—both refineries and users, such as large commercial fleets.”
Though the criteria aren’t developed yet, Quante says there are some standards that will likely be included, such as the use of local feedstocks and emission controls. “The problem with megaplants [that import feedstocks] is that we’re supplanting reliance on one foreign import for another,” Quante says, in reference to the importing of palm oil from Southeast Asia, which she considers similar to importing petroleum oil from the Middle East. “That’s one reason why you need to ask where your biofuel is coming from.”
In addition to criteria, the SBA also intends to develop a roadmap to help producers implement sustainable practices and achieve a sustainable certification. The certification isn't intended to be mandatory, but rather a set of guidelines. “Whoever wants to support sustainability in the biofuel world is more than welcome to do it,” Quante says. “It’s up to different entities to decide if they want to be sustainable or not.”
For Quante, the logic is simple. “All foods [labels] include what’s in it” she says. "We can easily do it for fuel. This allows consumers who love freedom of choice to decide what kind of green economy they want to support.”
Because the group is so new, Donnell Rehagen, chief operating officer of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), wasn't familiar with its work when he talked to Biodiesel Magazine. However, he says the NBB would be interested in working alongside the organization. “I’m sure the industry would be interested, and I’m sure the customers would be interested in the production practices of the folks involved in the production of biodiesel,” he says.
At press time, the NBB hadn’t addressed the sustainability issue. “Ninety percent of the biodiesel produced in the United States is produced by members of the NBB,” Rehagen says. “I think that would speak volumes for our board to look at sustainability.”
Rehagen indicates interest from the governing board but can't confidently predict what the likelihood is of the board actually addressing the issue. “I know the support is there for our industry to be one that supports sustainability, and I don’t think it would be a hard challenge to adopt such a policy,” he says. “A lot of issues have to come together for our goal of biodiesel production to be met. That’s why it’s up to our board and membership to come up with balance to help the industry grow while maintaining environmental aspects of biodiesel production.”
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