As nations are meeting in Peru for the COP 2014 global conference on climate change, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) stressed that biofuels, like ethanol, are one of the most commercially viable methods to reduce transport fuel greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“Nearly a third of global GHGs come from the transportation sector, those GHGs need to be a priority if we are going to make a significant contribution to combating climate change. Biofuels must be an integral part of that fight,” said GRFA spokesperson Bliss Baker.

Since biofuels such as ethanol are proven to reduce harmful GHGs from 40% to 90% compared to fossil fuels around the world, Baker says GRFA believes that policies adopted at COP 2014 must include the increased use of biofuels.

Earlier this year the GRFA forecasted that 2014 global ethanol production would reach 90.38 billion litres and its use worldwide would reduce GHG emissions by over 106 million tonnes globally. (S&T)2 Consultants Inc., an internationally renowned energy and environmental consulting firm, in partnership with the GRFA produced data which showed that these GHG reductions are equal to removing over 21 million cars off the road annually.

“106 million tonnes is a substantial GHG savings, it’s the same as removing the annual emissions from 14 average-sized coal-fired power plants. However, as the IEA has prescribed recently, more biofuels are needed to further reduce the emissions from the global transport sector,” said Baker.