1 Sept 2010
Roundtable On Sustainable Biofuels Proposes 50 Percent Biofuel Blend Threshold
The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels Steering Board approved a preliminary decision on a GHG threshold in its June 2010 in-person meeting.
This criterion is subject to an 18-month evaluation period, after which the Secretariat will submit a findings report to the Steering Board and Chambers. No biofuel will be categorically excluded on the basis of GHG emissions, as long as its lifecycle GHG performance is lower than that of the fossil fuel baseline.
The new criterion 3c reads: ”Biofuel blends shall have on average 50% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions relative to the fossil fuel base- line. Each biofuel in the blend shall have lower lifecycle GHG emissions than the fossil fuel baseline. Progress requirements: The minimum lifecycle GHG reduction of the biofuel blend, starting at 50%, shall increase over time.”
According to RSB, this focus on the blend allows for flexibility with feedstocks and operations, while still ensuring that the overall blend is significantly less polluting than fossil fuels.