In response to proposed updates to the California Air Resources Board’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Leticia Phillips, North America Representative for the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (known by the acronym “UNICA”), issued the following statement:
Washington, D.C., March 11, 2014 – Brazilian sugarcane producers applaud the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for once again declaring that sugarcane ethanol is one of the most environmentally friendly biofuels supplying today’s market.
Research unveiled today in CARB’s staff proposal to strengthen the State of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) provides new compelling evidence of the role sugarcane can play to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce petroleum use. This proposal moves California one step forward toward supporting a healthier, cleaner planet.
CARB’s proposal to revise indirect land-use change (ILUC) estimates in the LCFS shows the Brazilian sugarcane biofuel generates about half the indirect emissions that CARB originally suggested during its rulemaking process in 2009. If implemented, these revised ILUC estimates will confirm what numerous other studies have shown: sugarcane ethanol is one of the most environmentally friendly biofuels supplying today’s market.
UNICA welcomes CARB’s proposal to revisit its original estimates by putting science first. We look forward to providing detailed comments to this CARB proposal, as we have done in past.
California has always been a pioneer in clean energy policy, and today’s proposals reaffirms the state’s leadership role in establishing a cleaner, more sustainable world.
Previous comments submitted by UNICA to CARB proposals:
– UNICA letter to CARB, submitted February 2009
– UNICA letter to CARB, submitted April 2009
– UNICA Letter on LUC Developments for the LCFS
Leticia Phillips is UNICA’s Representative for North America. Ms. Phillips is an expert on Brazil-US relations and leads the Brazilian sugarcane industry’s advocacy efforts before the main stakeholders in the region, including the US Congress, Federal agencies, State legislators and business and civil society.