The Potential Contribution of Biofuels to Sustainable Development and a Low-carbon Future

This paper is informed by a roundtable workshop held at Chatham House in April 2008 to discuss practical policy options on biofuels.

Section 1 introduces the critical role that liquid fuels play in energy systems and outlines the possible contribution that biofuels, properly managed, could make. Section 2 sketches the major risks and opportunities that are associated with biofuels, focusing on their uneven contribution to greenhouse gas mitigation, their relative cost inefficiency, and their possible environmental and social impacts. Section 3 outlines the main policy approaches that currently drive production of biofuels in the developed world. Section 4 concludes with some recommendations.