Biofuels: Economic, environmental and social benefits and costs for developing countries in Asia

Gheewala, SH; Damen, B; Shi, X

Biofuels: Economic, environmental and social benefits and costs for developing countries in Asia

Gheewala, SH Damen, B Shi, X

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2013, 4 (6), pp. 497 - 511
Issue Date:: 2013-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Gheewala, SH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Damen, B	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shi, X https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9653-7395	en_US
dc.date.issued	2013-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2013, 4 (6), pp. 497 - 511	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1757-7780	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/117273
dc.description.abstract	Biofuels are being supported by many governments for a range of perceived benefits including improved domestic energy security, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared with fossil-fuel counterparts, and economic development and employment generation, particularly in rural areas. Life-cycle, cost-benefit, and systems analyses, however, indicate that the expansion of biofuels can have complex effects on, and interactions with, land use and food and fuel prices. This article reviews the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of biofuels using experiences from developing countries in Asia. The review reveals the following: (1) biofuels are generally not economically competitive with fossil fuels and government support, though prevailing, is costly and questionable. (2) Although biofuels are generally viewed to be a threat to food security, if properly managed, their development could lead to improved productivity in the agriculture sector over the long term with benefits for rural livelihoods and food security. (3) Even though reducing GHG emissions is a key driver for the development of biofuels, effects in terms of soil quality, biodiversity, and water quality must also be assessed; the environmental benefits of biofuels are debatable and depend on a range of fuel-specific factors, management, and agricultural practices. On the basis of this assessment a range of strategies are suggested to further improve the sustainability of biofuels in Asia. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1002/wcc.241	en_US
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.title	Biofuels: Economic, environmental and social benefits and costs for developing countries in Asia	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	4	en_US
utslib.for	090201 Automotive Combustion and Fuel Engineering (incl. Alternative/Renewable Fuels)	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (International)
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/DVC (International)/Australia-China Relations Institute
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.issue	6	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	4	en_US

Abstract:

Biofuels are being supported by many governments for a range of perceived benefits including improved domestic energy security, reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared with fossil-fuel counterparts, and economic development and employment generation, particularly in rural areas. Life-cycle, cost-benefit, and systems analyses, however, indicate that the expansion of biofuels can have complex effects on, and interactions with, land use and food and fuel prices. This article reviews the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs of biofuels using experiences from developing countries in Asia. The review reveals the following: (1) biofuels are generally not economically competitive with fossil fuels and government support, though prevailing, is costly and questionable. (2) Although biofuels are generally viewed to be a threat to food security, if properly managed, their development could lead to improved productivity in the agriculture sector over the long term with benefits for rural livelihoods and food security. (3) Even though reducing GHG emissions is a key driver for the development of biofuels, effects in terms of soil quality, biodiversity, and water quality must also be assessed; the environmental benefits of biofuels are debatable and depend on a range of fuel-specific factors, management, and agricultural practices. On the basis of this assessment a range of strategies are suggested to further improve the sustainability of biofuels in Asia. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/117273