by Géraldine Kutas | Jan 16, 2014 | Sem categoria
With the European Commission days away from releasing its policy proposal on so-called 2030 climate and energy targets, it’s worth taking stock of how this position will negatively impact the decarbonization of the transport sector and how once again this Commission...
by Leticia Phillips | Dec 23, 2013 | Sem categoria
The Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a public hearing on December 5 to hear from industry leaders on the agency’s proposed renewable fuel standards for 2014. I will be testifying on behalf of Brazilian sugarcane producers, and here’s an advance look at what...
by Leticia Phillips | Dec 19, 2013 | Sem categoria
‘Tis the season for family, friends and holiday wishes. December is also a nice time to reflect back and think ahead to the New Year. In 2013, advanced biofuels continued to flourish, and Brazilian sugarcane producers stayed active in sharing vital facts about clean,...
by Géraldine Kutas | Dec 12, 2013 | Sem categoria
EU Member States on Thursday confirmed what many European biofuel watchers had assumed for many weeks: the issue of biofuels and their potential indirect effects (so-called Indirect Land Use Change) won’t be addressed until the next European Parliament and the next...
by Leticia Phillips | Dec 11, 2013 | Sem categoria
The U.S. Senate is holding an oversight hearing today examining the Renewable Fuel Standard. The head of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) is scheduled to testify before the Environment and Public Works Committee, and according to prepared...
by Géraldine Kutas | Dec 10, 2013 | Sem categoria
Ahead of the adoption of the Political Agreement on the ILUC dossier in the Energy Council on 12 December 2013, a group of NGOs put out a briefing on the biofuels policy review and on the three main issues in the debate: the cap for land-based biofuels, the weakening...
by Géraldine Kutas | Nov 29, 2013 | Sem categoria
A couple of new reports released this month in Brussels carry a similar message: Sustainable biofuels, like sugarcane-based ethanol from Brazil, will need to play a significant role if the decarbonization of European transport is going to happen longer term. There’s...
by Leticia Phillips | Nov 15, 2013 | Sem categoria
In response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiling a proposal that could cut next year’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) target for advanced biofuels by 20 percent, Leticia Phillips, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association’s (known by the acronym...
by Géraldine Kutas | Nov 8, 2013 | Sem categoria
As an indication of how the European Union biofuels dossier remains stuck in a holding pattern, the European Parliament’s Energy Committee has canceled a planned vote on whether to give the EU’s Parliament Rapporteur a mandate to hold negotiations (so-called...
by Leticia Phillips | Oct 21, 2013 | Sem categoria
The 40-year anniversary of 1973’s OPEC oil embargo is an important milestone in the world’s transition toward renewable sources of fuel. Many media outlets and respected energy leaders have been looking back over the past four decades, searching for lessons learned. ...
by Géraldine Kutas | Oct 17, 2013 | Sem categoria
The United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security (CFS) met last week in Rome and, not surprisingly, biofuels were again at the centre of a hot debate. Governments, industry, civil society and academics all represented at the meeting could agree on an overall mild...
by Géraldine Kutas | Oct 3, 2013 | Sem categoria
Ecofys, a well-respected Dutch consultancy, is out with a new study that effectively eviscerates the association of biofuels with “land grabbing,” that favorite charged-phrase NGOs pedal that industry is in the business of pushing locals off their land. The meaty...
by Leticia Phillips | Sep 23, 2013 | Sem categoria
With Labor Day behind us, Washington D.C. has officially ended summer vacation and gotten back to work. Brazil’s sugarcane ethanol producers are no exception, and we’ve renewed our efforts making the case for advanced biofuels. To kick things off this week, Joel...
by Leticia Phillips | Sep 18, 2013 | Sem categoria
The late U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan is often credited for quipping that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. Fresh export data from Brazil reminded me of that saying because it will come as an unwelcome reality check for...
by Géraldine Kutas | Sep 12, 2013 | Sem categoria
A mixed bag from Wednesday’s full European Parliament vote on biofuels and that issue of indirect land use change, ILUC, after months of debate in the parliament. The bad news is that the EP, as expected, voted to approve a cap on first generation biofuels, although...
by Géraldine Kutas | Sep 9, 2013 | Sem categoria
Another interesting report out last week on biofuels. This one is entitled, “Biofuels play minor role in local food prices,” and was produced by Ecofys, a Dutch consulting firm that does work regularly for the European Commission and sometimes for NGOs and the...
