The International Energy Agency (IEA) has steadfastly confirmed the growing need for low carbon biofuels to increase global energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) relative to petroleum.
“Energy needs to be used more efficiently and the carbon content of the energy we consume must be reduced, by switching to low- or zero-carbon sources,” says the IEA in a statement from a recent report that was unequivocal with respect to the need for a rapid transition to low carbon forms of energy to play an increasing role in the global transportation sector.
Global Renewable Fuels Alliance spokesperson, Bliss Baker, welcomed the IEA’s report as an important tool in the effort to encourage countries around the world to adapt biofuels-friendly policies.
Assuming no new government policies are put in place, according to the IEA, oil demand will rise by 1% per year on average from 85 million barrels per day (mb/d) in 2008 to 88 mb/d in 2015 & 105 mb/d in 2030. Approximately 97% of the projected increase in oil demand will come from the transportation sector.
The IEA calls for measures in the transport sector to improve fuel economy, expand biofuels and promote the uptake of new vehicle technologies in order to achieve significant reductions in oil demand. The report notes that increased use of biofuels in the transport sector alone could account for 3% of global emissions reductions.
“While the footprint of biofuels continues to shrink, rising global consumption of fossil fuels continues to drive up GHG emissions and global temperatures,” said Bliss Baker, a spokesperson for the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance. “The rapid development of new technologies will make existing biofuels production as well as next generation biofuels increasingly beneficial to global energy, economic and environmental goals.”
Oil Is Still King
Generation and use of sustainable energy resources are expected to remain relatively low compared to the non-renewable petroleum and other fossil fuel resources. Although energy generation from renewable sources — particularly wind and solar — are rapidly increasing, they are not projected to get ahead of the demand curve and are expected to continue to supply approximately 14% of the world’s energy consumption in 2030.
While technology continues to improve and develop for the use biofuels and other low and no-carbon energy sources at a rapid rate, petroleum are projected remain the primary source for global energy through the remainder of the this millennium, according to IEA.
