by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we sail into 2021? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and offer our predictions for the year ahead. As the sunset of 2020
carbon credit
Back TO HOMEBiden Climate Plan Looks for Buy-in from Farmers Who Are Often Skeptical about Global Warming
by Georgina Gustin (Inside Climate News) The administration has options to cut emissions even if a Republican-led Senate opposes climate-focused agriculture policies. -- ... The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the administration said, “has not historically received the sustained political attention of
January 05, 2021 Read Full Article
45Q - The Drive to Qualify
by Alex Tiller (Carbonvert Inc./Ethanol Producer Magazine) The road to qualifying for the 45Q tax credit can be confusing, with strict limitations on project phases and what constitutes start of construction. But, navigated properly, the credit is a promising opportunity. Carbon
December 30, 2020 Read Full Article
WEBINAR: New Technologies, Data and Markets to Accelerate Improvements in Forest Carbon Credits --- January 21, 2021
With a steady parade of corporate carbon net-zero pledges released in 2020 and even more coming in 2021, there is an enormous demand for forest carbon credits. This is empowering local and global actors to drive climate impact and opens
December 28, 2020 Read Full Article
Future of Farming: Chase to Capture Carbon as Another Revenue Stream
by Tyne Morgan (Farm Journal AgWeb) As a possible policy shift may put sustainable farming practices in the spotlight, companies are already paying farmers to shift to more "climate smart farming" like utilizing no-till as a production method. -- ... “Tom
December 14, 2020 Read Full Article
Oil Refineries See Profit in Turning Kitchen Grease into Diesel
by Clifford Krauss (New York Times) Used cooking oil is one of the ingredients in renewable diesel, which generates far less emissions than conventional diesel and allows refineries to take advantage of federal and state incentives. -- ... Companies that
December 04, 2020 Read Full Article
New Biofuel-Trading Venue Sees Untapped Demand in Green Revival
by Kim Chipman (Bloomberg/Yahoo! Finance) The U.S. market for biofuel credits has long drawn calls for reform over lack of transparency. Trading-technology expert Julian Anstes says he has the answer. Anstes and the firm he runs, London-based OTC Direct Markets Ltd., have
November 24, 2020 Read Full Article
Greenhouse Gases to Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Negativity; an Overview of Popular Emission Terms
by Aytek Yuksel (Cummins) ... This article brings you the basics around some of the common terms associated with air quality and emissions. What are the different greenhouse gases (GHG)? There are four primary greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide
November 19, 2020 Read Full Article
SAF's California LCFS Credit Value Tumbles as Average Carbon Score Climbs
by Josh Pedrick (S&P Global Platts) Average SAF CI climbs to 47.02 from 31.4; Value of LCFS credits per gallon of SAF weakens -- The value of California Low Carbon Fuel Standard credits generated by a gallon of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
November 12, 2020 Read Full Article
Limited Impact on LCFS and RIN Prices: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to COVID-19 Impact on Renewable Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) COVID-19 has impacted every industry in some way, but Mike McCurdy from ICF shared this slide guide at ABLC2020 demonstrating how COVID-19 has had limited impact on some areas for renewable fuels and how compliance fuels’
October 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Submission by Solutions from the Land on Behalf of the North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance In Response to the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture
(Solutions from the Land) NACSAA 'Capstone Submission' Stresses CSA Is 'Foundational' to Global Agreement -- North America Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance has handed over its capstone submission into the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, the global platform for ag policy
October 23, 2020 Read Full Article
Reducing Carbon Emissions in Agriculture: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Commodity Plus Carbon
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) At ABLC Digital this summer, there was lots of talk about carbon. In this slide guide, GIC takes us on a learning journey about commodity plus carbon and how it monetizes carbon. What is CPC?
October 20, 2020 Read Full Article
ANL Releases 2020 Updates to GREET Models
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Argonne National Laboratory’s Systems Assessment Center on Oct. 9 announced the 2020 release of the suite of Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET) models. GREET is a life-cycle analysis tool that can
October 13, 2020 Read Full Article
Is There Money for Renewable Fuels? Latest Perspectives on Financing Renewable Fuel Projects
by Mike Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) Connecting people from renewable fuels companies with projects they want to finance to the people who can finance them was a key goal for Parhelion Underwriting’s recent virtual roundtable. The finance panel included Justin Goldstein
October 13, 2020 Read Full Article
How Has Covid-19 Impacted the Future of Fuel?
(Business Airport International) The impact of Covid-19 on the fuel market has been pronounced, but the virus could also spur a move to more sustainable sources of fuel. ... Avfuel has experienced interest in the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
September 08, 2020 Read Full Article
Fortistar and Paloma Dairy Begin Construction on a Renewable Natural Gas Facility that Will Power Enough Trucks to Move 10 Million Miles of Freight
(Fortistar and Palima Dairy/BusinessWire) Fortistar and Paloma Dairy today announced the beginning of construction on a dairy digester renewable natural gas (RNG) facility, the Sunoma Renewable Biofuel Project. The new facility will produce 1.6 million gasoline gallon equivalents (GGE) of vehicle
September 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Narrower Access Into Brazil
by Matt Thompson (Ethanol Producer Magazine) On top of the slowdown, the world’s No. 2 ethanol nation is holding strong on policies that check robust U.S. imports. In addition to its tariff rate quota, tough feedstock traceability requirements place another
August 28, 2020 Read Full Article
How Will Carbon Credits Drive Energy Transition?
(ADI Analytics) Interest in the energy transition is growing rapidly and investments are following that interest closely as well. In the past year, global oil and gas companies have announced major goals and plans embracing the energy transition and have started
August 20, 2020 Read Full Article
Biogenic Emissions: Credit Where It’s Due
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The push to alter biogenic emissions regulations could boost corn farming and ethanol production while cementing the role of biobased solutions in the fight against climate change. Political inertia, however, remains the primary barrier
August 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Co-Locating Renewable Diesel with Ethanol Biorefinery: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Saola Energy’s Renewable Diesel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) NextChem was in the news yesterday with the big announcement that they will co-license GranBio’s patented technology for the production of second-generation ethanol, but at ABLC Digital, NextChem was also mentioned in Saola Energy’s presentation and
August 04, 2020 Read Full Article
ICAO, CORSIA and Alternative Jet Fuels
by James I. Hileman (Federal Aviation Administration/CAAFI) ICAO Background; CORSIA Overview and Technical Details; Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) in CORSIA U.N. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) CAEP - Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection Technical Groups within ICAO CAEP working on CORSIA and Fuels Fuels
July 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Airbus Starts Hamburg Deliveries with Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(Airbus) Airbus is expanding its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) operations, now including aircraft deliveries from its site in Hamburg, Germany. Air Transat took delivery of two brand new A321LR on lease from AerCap. Both used a 10 per cent sustainable aviation
July 30, 2020 Read Full Article
ACR: Comment Period Open on Updated Landfill Gas Methodology DEADLINE August 7, 2020
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) The American Carbon Registry has opened a public comment period on Version 2.0 of its methodology for the generation of carbon offsets from landfill gas destruction and beneficial use projects. According to the ACR, the original version
July 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Black Gold: Iowa’s Soils Can Be a Fort Knox for Carbon Storage
by Zhichao Wang and Jim Ramm (EcoEngineers) Iowa’s fertile farmland could be a soil-based Fort Knox that — instead of gold — stores a wealth of carbon within its underground vaults. How farmers can tap into the potential riches of carbon capture
July 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Bayer Takes Steps to Make Carbon Sequestration a Farmer’s Newest Crop Opportunity
(Bayer) Bayer to reward growers to generate carbon credits by adopting climate-smart practices and creating a new revenue stream on-farm / The initiative makes Bayer the first company to develop a transparent, science-based and collaborative approach to a carbon market
July 22, 2020 Read Full Article
IIT-Hyderabad Uses Machine Learning to Study Biofuel Supply
by Syed Akbar (Times of India) Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad have developed a method using machine learning algorithms to study supply chain network of biofuels. According to the IIT-Hyderabad team, the method considers revenue generation
July 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Select Committee Democrats Releases 'Solving The Climate Crisis', A Congressional Roadmap For Ambitious Climate Action
(House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis) Plan Would Put Americans Back To Work, Save Lives, And Help the United States Reach Net Zero By 2050 -- On Tuesday, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Chair Kathy Castor (D-FL), members of the House Select Committee
June 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Shell to Supply Carbon-Neutral LNG Cargoes to China’s CNOOC
(Energy Market Price) ... Carbon-neutral means that all emissions coming from exploration and production of the natural gas are offset by credits from a variety of nature-based projects. These include Shell supported afforestation projects from Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces in China,
June 26, 2020 Read Full Article
The Science behind Brazilian Biofuels Policy – RenovaBio
by Marcelo A. Boechat Morandi (Embrapa Meio Ambiente/LinkedIn) Insights on how Brazil is innovating and investing in the low carbon economy, especially in agriculture and energy. RenovaBio is a market driven incentive mechanism, based on the economic theory of “Coase Market”
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
Refiners Start to Add Renewable Diesel Capacity, Seen as Cost-Cutting Move
by Laura Sanicola and Stephanie Kelly (Reuters) Refiners such as HollyFrontier Corp and CVR Energy are exploring opportunities to produce renewable diesel to save money on less profitable refineries and offset compliance costs associated with U.S. blending laws. The product, however, currently only
June 25, 2020 Read Full Article
A GOOD IDEA Path to Economic Transformation
by Russ Freeman (Modern Rotating Impact Mill Production Company, llc./Biofuels Digest) So how do we choose a GOOD PATH from many alternatives carbon sources? Repurposing carbon in Municipal Solid Wastes could be exceptionally attractive to local government facing a pandemic-driven loss of both
June 18, 2020 Read Full Article
Solutions from the Land's Letter to Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis
(Solutions from the Land) In response to a call for input from the Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis for input on tools, programs, and support useful to address the impacts of severe weather and climate change on
June 17, 2020 Read Full Article
Driving Ethanol's Digital Transformation
by Susanne Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Ethanol producers are no strangers to computers and automation. Distributed control systems (DCS) have been in use for decades to monitor and control fermentation and distillation. Indeed, the needs of the ethanol industry drove
June 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Post-Coronavirus: What’s Next in the Environmental Commodity Markets – 23 Key Takeaways
by Mike Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) ... The focus was on renewable fuels in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RINs) and California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS credits). Stakeholders came from all corners of the market, from the refining industry,
June 16, 2020 Read Full Article
Brazilian Carbon Credit First Trade at Near $10/CBIO PUBLIC COMMENT DEADLINE: July 4, 2020
by Nicolle Monteiro de Castro (S&P Global) Datagro conference bought 100 CBIOs; RenovaBio targets under review -- The new Brazilian carbon credit, called CBIOs, had their first trade of 100 units at a cost of Real 50/CBIO ($10/CBIO) on June 12, in
June 15, 2020 Read Full Article
UAI: EPA Keeping Ethanol from Its True Lower Carbon Value
by Steve Vander Griend (Urban Air Initiative/Ethanol Producer Magazine) In a world intent on lowering carbon emissions, any positive steps lowering CO2 should receive credit. Instead, a recent Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) issued by EPA actually proposes to penalize
June 10, 2020 Read Full Article
In Rare Bipartisan Bill, U.S. Senators Tackle Climate Change via Agriculture
by Valerie Volcovici (Reuters/Yahoo!) U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the Agriculture Department to help farmers, ranchers and landowners use carbon dioxide-absorbing practices to generate carbon credits, a rare collaboration on climate change. The proposed Growing Climate
June 04, 2020 Read Full Article
Smart Farms of the Future: Making Bioenergy Crops More Environmentally Friendly
by Julie Chao (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Berkeley Lab launches three new projects to advance sustainable agricultural practices ... The three projects, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), leverage Berkeley Lab’s strengths in artificial intelligence, sensors, and ecological biology.
June 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Why Is No One Talking about Agriculture as a Solution to Climate Change?
by Karn Manhas (Terramera/AgFunder News) ... Far less attention has been paid to agriculture’s capacity to be a climate solution. How? Through the production and maintenance of healthy living soil. The world’s soils contain 2,500 gigatons of carbon — more than three times more
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
CORSIA: Five Key Takeaways on What Eligibility Decisions Mean for Carbon Markets
by Sarah Leugers (Gold Standard/GreenAir Online) On March 13, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced that credits from Gold Standard and five other standards will be eligible for CORSIA, the aviation sector’s carbon market scheme, for the pilot phase 2021-2023. While Gold Standard believes the
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
ICAO Receives Eight More Applications from Carbon Programmes Seeking Offset Eligibility under CORSIA
(GreenAir Online) ICAO has received eight applications from emissions unit programmes in the second round of assessments by its Technical Advisory Body (TAB), along with material updates to two applications in the first round. The public is invited to comment by
May 29, 2020 Read Full Article
Agricultural & Energy DigestData Dashboard for May 2020: Resilience, Crops, Economy, Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As the month of May comes to a close and many states are re-opening, The Digest published this "Agricultural & Energy Dashboard" visual guide showing what's going on with ethanol retail prices, liquid energy commodity prices,
May 27, 2020 Read Full Article
Cargill-Led Fund to Pay U.S. Farmers for Carbon Capture, Exchange Credits
by Karl Plume (Reuters) Global commodities trader Cargill Inc [CARG.UL] starting this spring will pay American farmers for capturing carbon in their field soils and cutting fertilizer runoff, an executive said. The Soil & Water Outcomes Fund, a partnership with
May 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Neste Reports Record Renewable Diesel Production in Q1
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Neste Corp. released first quarter financial results on April 24. The company reported a solid start to the year considering the negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and said renewable diesel production was at a
April 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Wisconsin Biogas Gas Producer Sees Potential in Thermal Renewable Credits
by Frank Jossi (Energy News Network) Verified thermal energy credits could do for methane capture what renewable energy credits did for wind and solar power. -- A Wisconsin company is the first to sign up for a new renewable natural gas
April 21, 2020 Read Full Article
The Crisis Dashboard – Health, Economy, Climate, Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Using the latest data available, The Digest published this “Crisis Dashboard” visual guide showing what’s going on with ethanol retail prices, liquid energy commodity prices, biodiesel operating margins, ethanol operating margins, retail fuel prices, RIN
April 01, 2020 Read Full Article
Generate Revenue with Clean Fuels
by Sean Turner (Fleet Owner Magazine/ACT News) Do you currently operate clean vehicles in California? Or, are you thinking of making a transition to lower emission technologies? If so, your fleet has the potential to generate enough money to pay for
March 30, 2020 Read Full Article
Blockchain, Ag Futures, CPC Potential for Ethanol Industry: The Digest’s 2020 Multi-Slide Guide to Ethanol Commodity Plus Carbon
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Commodity Plus Carbon, or CPC can maximize monetization opportunities from the sequestration potential in the agricultural sector. CPC offers synergies between regulated ETS traded carbon credits, voluntary and futures commodity markets and offers a new
March 17, 2020 Read Full Article
MIND THE GAP: Letter from Europe
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) If you have not followed the Alternative and Renewable Fuels Forum, bookmark this, and today I’ll give you some of the flavor of this group with 110 members — project owners and developers, policy experts, technologists,
March 04, 2020 Read Full Article
New Book: Sustainable Aviation – Greening the Flight Path
(GreenAir Online) This book highlights the latest research in the field of sustainable aviation, covering future developments in carbon emissions reduction, carbon trading and the impact of emerging technologies on aviation, as well as social, legal and regulatory changes as they
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
ICAO Council Gathers to Consider Important Decisions on Carbon Offset Eligibility under CORSIA
(GreenAir Online) During its 219th Session starting next week (March 2), ICAO’s governing Council is expected to make important decisions on the global carbon offsetting scheme for international aviation, CORSIA, which starts in 10 months’ time. Most notable is consideration by Council
March 03, 2020 Read Full Article
Clean Fuel Groups Pushing for Carbon Credit System
by Rick Karlin (Times Union) A broad coalition including environmentalists as well as biofuel, electric vehicle and other alternative transportation companies, are urging the Cuomo Administration to adopt a Low Carbon Fuel Credit that would help them, but would require traditional
January 21, 2020 Read Full Article
The Letters of (Low Carbon) Transit: Business Aviation and World Energy Pard’ner up, Via Book & Claim
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... World Fuel Services and World Energy have a World Economic Forum Sustainable Aviation Fuel Program designed to increase SAF availability and supply chain efficiency within the industry. The program will be available in time for business
January 21, 2020 Read Full Article
Clean Fuel Standards: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Oregon’s Clean Fuels Program
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Oregon is ahead of the curve in many ways, but one in particular that stands out is their Clean Fuels Program. Check out this short and sweet Slide-Guide to the latest on Oregon’s Clean Fuels
January 09, 2020 Read Full Article
What's Looming in 2020?
by Kelsey Tamborrino (Politico's Morning Energy) ... Another looming fight: EPA's proposals to weaken rules on greenhouse gas emissions from cars. The Trump administration has revoked California's waiver authority, but its sweeping rollback of federal emissions standards has stalled ahead
January 06, 2020 Read Full Article
Finding Environmental Markets Carbon Credits, Water Quality Markets Rebuild for Farmers
by Chris Clayton (DTN Progressive Farmer) When Ohio farmer Fred Yoder testified last month before the House Select Committee on Climate Change, the long-time no-till farmer and champion of climate-smart farming practices told lawmakers one of the best things that could
December 31, 2019 Read Full Article
Views from Napa Valley: A Peak at California’s Low Carbon Fuels Program (2019)
by Michele Rubino (Biofuels Digest) ... Take California’s climate change mitigation efforts – and specifically the LCFS (Low Carbon Fuels Standard), the State’s flagship Program aimed at decarbonizing the transportation sector. Back in 2015 the Program was emerging from years
October 30, 2019 Read Full Article
JBS Biodiesel Is the First Company to Obtain Endorsement to Issue Decarbonization Credit
by Roberto Samora (Reuters (Google Translation)) JBS Biodiesel of JBS became the first biofuel company on Thursday to be certified to issue decarbonization credits (CBios) under the National Biofuels Program (RenovaBio), according to information from company and the ANP regulator. The certification,
October 22, 2019 Read Full Article
Puget Sound Unveils New Regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard COMMENTS DUE: January 6, 2020
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Washington state we have news that the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued its Low Carbon Fuel Standard rule for consideration. This is the first economic region to attempt a Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and
October 17, 2019 Read Full Article
VALCORA Bolsters Fuel Emission Offsetting in Collaboration with Shell Aviation
(Aviation Pros/VALCORA) All Shell Aviation fuels sold through the VALCORA digital fuel purchasing platform will be carbon neutral1, meaning that emissions will be offset via carbon credits automatically included with the purchase of the fuel. VALCORA has signed its first third-party
October 16, 2019 Read Full Article
The Market for Sustainable Kerosene Needs the Quota
(aireg e.V.) On the occasion of the international aireg conference on sustainable aviation fuels in Berlin on October 17th and 18th 2019, aireg proposes the introduction of a GHG reduction quota through sustainable aviation fuels. On a global scale, about 70,000
October 15, 2019 Read Full Article
Family Farming, Biofuels, CO2: The Digest’s 2019 Multi-Slide Guide to Climate Change and the U.S. Farm Economy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The National Farmers Union envisions a world where farm families and their communities are respected, valued and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice and climate is a big part of that. Check out what Roger
September 27, 2019 Read Full Article
GZ Energy to Launch Digital Credit-Trading Platform in Q4
(GZ Energy LLC/Biodiesel Magazine) Physical commodities brokerage GZ Energy LLC plans to launch its groundbreaking digital trading platform, GZX, in October. GZX will provide renewable fuel market participants with a means to discreetly trade separated (K2) renewable identification numbers (RINs), California Low
September 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Aemetis Cuts Carbon Score of Keyes Ethanol Plant
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Aemetis Inc. released second quarter 2019 financial results Aug. 8. The company reported strong growth for its biodiesel business in India, outlined improvement projects underway at its corn ethanol plant, and discussed planned renewable natural
August 14, 2019 Read Full Article
Managing LCFS Credits and Risk in Uncertain Times
by Michael Newman (Parhelion Underwriting Inc./Biofuels Digest) Trading in the climate finance market – the systems designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – sometimes create areas of uncertainty. The risk of invalidation of credits worry market participants – but insurance risk
August 08, 2019 Read Full Article
These Candidates See Farming as a Climate Solution. Here’s What They're Proposing.
by Georgina Gustin (Inside Climate Change) ... Sen. Michael Bennet, like Biden, writes about voluntary markets to support better soil carbon practices. South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg talked at the first debate about climate change and farming's role, and how "the right kind of soil management and
July 19, 2019 Read Full Article
Stating Carbon Fuel Standards: BIO World Congress Eyes Taking Low-Carbon Fuel Standards Beyond California
by Chris Clayton (DTN The Progressive Farmer) The uncertainty of the federal Renewable Fuels Standard and political fights with the petroleum industry are giving more weight to the need for major biofuel states to consider their own low-carbon fuel standards. After years
July 11, 2019 Read Full Article
Firm Launches Plan to Cut One Trillion Tons of CO2 From Atmosphere
(Solutions from the Land) A company that says it is "dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet," announced last month the launch of The Terraton Initiative™, a project designed to accelerate carbon sequestration at an unprecedented scale. ... Among the
July 09, 2019 Read Full Article
Why Carbon Credits for Forest Preservation May Be Worse than Nothing--An (Even More) Inconvenient Truth
by Lisa Song, with additional reporting by Paula Moura (Pro Publica) ... If the carbon in these trees could be quantified, then Acre could sell credits to polluters emitting clouds of CO₂. Whatever they release theoretically would be offset, or canceled
May 23, 2019 Read Full Article
Impact of Emissions Regulations
(Sea News) Maritime shipping emissions represent around 2.5% (940 million metric tonnes)², Worldwide and 13% of the total greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced within the European Union and as such present a very large problem for nation states that are trying to
April 24, 2019 Read Full Article
EU Plans 2019 Global Carbon Market Meeting to Determine Trading Rules
by Siobhan Hall (S&P Global Platts) Spring meeting in Brussels ahead of COP25 in Chile; Wants rules that ensure real emission reductions; EU to meet its 2030 CO2 cut target with own rules -- The European Commission wants to help broker an accord on
January 24, 2019 Read Full Article
Some of the Biggest Green Groups Have Cold Feet over the “Green New Deal”
by Emily Atkin (The New Republic) More than 600 organizations signed a letter supporting the ambitious proposal, but eight of the largest ones did not. -- ... Sent by 626 environmental groups on Thursday, the letter calls on lawmakers to support the idea, popularized by freshman
January 16, 2019 Read Full Article
A Carbon Price Can Benefit the Poor While Reducing Emissions
by Helen Mountford and Molly McGregor (World Resources Institute) ... Recent research from the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate finds that bold climate action could deliver at least $26 trillion in economic benefits through 2030. ... On the other side of the
December 27, 2018 Read Full Article
RNG Poised for Midwestern Growth
by Sam Spofforth (Clean Fuels Ohio/ACT News) The natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry and seasoned fleet users are quite familiar with the growth of renewable natural gas (RNG) in the transportation sector. This growth has been driven by a combination of
December 21, 2018 Read Full Article
Carbon Markets, NGOs and IATA Urge Countries at COP24 Climate Talks to Adopt Robust Rules on Double Counting
(GreenAir Online) Carbon market representatives, IATA and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) have urged countries currently meeting at the UNFCCC’s COP24 in Poland to adopt strong rules to avoid double counting on emissions reductions under the Paris Agreement and ICAO’s CORSIA carbon
December 15, 2018 Read Full Article
California Drivers Pay Growing Cost for Climate Program
by David R. Baker (San Francisco Chronicle) A California program to fight climate change may now add more to the cost of gasoline than the state gas-tax increase that many voters want to repeal. The Low Carbon Fuel Standard, designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions
August 10, 2018 Read Full Article
On the Rise: The Digest’s 2018 Multi-Slide Guide to Biogas, Its Markets and Production and Treatment Technologies
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) What’s up with biogas? The U.S. market has lagged in the development of biogas facilities because of the low cost of electricity, natural gas and vehicle fuels derived from petroleum. The passing of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS)
August 09, 2018 Read Full Article
Expert Opinion on... CORSIA: The Potential Impact on the SAF Market
by Karlijn Arts (SkyNGR Market Update) Recently new decisions were made in the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Karlijn Arts, who started at SkyNRG as Policy & Sustainability Manager last
August 08, 2018 Read Full Article
EU Pushes Back against Weakening of Aviation Emissions Deal
by Julia Fioretti (Reuters) European countries are pushing back against any weakening of the rules underpinning a landmark global agreement to cap airline emissions at 2020 levels, especially those related to the types of aviation biofuels that can be used. France, Norway, Finland,
June 07, 2018 Read Full Article
California May Tweak Climate Program That’s Pushing up Gas Prices
by David R. Baker (Seattle Times) ... Last week, the California Air Resources Board issued proposed changes that would delay some of the program’s targets, giving fuel providers more time to reach them. Instead of needing to cut the carbon intensity of
March 12, 2018 Read Full Article
California Cars Are Running on Restaurant Grease
by Robert Tuttle (Bloomberg Technology) Renewable diesel use surges amid low-carbon fuel program; Second-biggest source of low-carbon fuel credits after ethanol -- California’s battle against climate change is being fought more fiercely in fast food restaurants than in Tesla Inc.’s car factory in Fremont. Seven
October 25, 2017 Read Full Article
California LCFS Guides Advanced Biofuels Industry
by Heather Zhang (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Carbon credit prices recover and multiple new pathways are certified as the state’s program gets back on track. -- California’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector are racing to make progress
June 27, 2017 Read Full Article
Updating and Improving the Social Cost of Carbon
(Resources for the Future) The social cost of carbon is an economic tool used to quantify the societal benefits of reducing —or conversely the damages of emitting—one ton of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. The estimate informs billions of dollars
June 09, 2017 Read Full Article
Canada Ready to Impose Pollution Caps, Fuel Tax on Provinces
By David Ljunggren (Reuters) Canada said on Thursday it planned to impose a cap on pollution in provinces that refuse to adopt a national price on carbon, setting up a potential fight with the country's powerful energy-rich west. Last December the
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Ethanol and Biodiesel: Dropping Below the Production Cost of Fossil Fuels?
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... As you can see from the hard data, the production cost for ethanol today is $1.22 per gallon, which translates to $51.24 per barrel. Now, on an energy basis — given that ethanol has 67%
May 19, 2017 Read Full Article
Great Leaf Forward: The Top 10 Trends Driving the Canadian Advanced Bioeconomy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Although the bigger players — China, the US, Brazil and the EU take most of the headlines in the advanced bioeconomy, Canada is definitely “boxing above its weight class” these days, as the saying goes. In
May 02, 2017 Read Full Article
Derisking: A Strategy for Growing the Biobased Economy
by Neil A. Belson (LeafPro Bioproducts/Biofuels Digest) ... Despite its potential benefits and some very real achievements, the biobased economy has overall progressed more slowly than many had hoped. There are several reasons for this slow progress. Technological challenges involved in
October 28, 2016 Read Full Article
U.N. Aviation Emissions Pact to Let States Opt out in First Phase: Sources
by Allison Lampert and Julia Fioretti (Reuters) A new global deal on curbing aviation emissions will likely give states the right to opt out of its initial voluntary phases, according to sources familiar with the matter, in a concession to
August 26, 2016 Read Full Article
Bind It or Blend It: Accelerating the Renewable Jet Fuel Market
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We would like you to consider the proposition that alcohol-to-jet fuels, known as ATJ to the 3-letter acronym enthusiasts, deserve two RINs. and two credits under the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard. For cellulosic jet fuels,
July 21, 2016 Read Full Article
California Ponders Changes to Fuel Rules as Tesla Cries Foul
by John Lippert (Bloomberg) ... The rapid growth of Tesla Motors Inc. and the increasing range of other electric vehicles have the state contemplating new requirements that anger both Tesla and competitors like Honda Motor Co. They say California is changing
July 08, 2016 Read Full Article
Psst! Heard on the Floor at the International Bioenergy Conference
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... The eyes of the world might well be on tiny Prince George, British Columbia these days — because that is the proposed site of Canfor’s commercial-scale biofuels and chemicals project. The success of such a
June 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Point/Counterpoint: Is It Time for Greens To Reassess Their Opposition to Ethanol?
by Senator Timothy Wirth and C. Boyden Gray (Yale Environment 360) The criticism of ethanol by environmentalists is misguided and just plain wrong. In fact, thanks to improvements in farming techniques, increasing the amount of corn ethanol in U.S. gasoline
May 28, 2016 Read Full Article
Feature: Ethanol Producers Say California 'Carbon Intensity' Scores Still Too High
by Josh Pedrick (Platts) Most "legacy" ethanol producers who sell their product in California are unhappy with updated "carbon intensity" scores, saying the application process was inconsistent and left scores too high to meet the state's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. Legacy
May 16, 2016 Read Full Article
NGOs Clash over Eligibility of REDD+ Forestry Credits under ICAO's Proposed Aviation Carbon Offsetting Scheme
(GreenAir Online) ... UNFCCC launched in 2008 a programme called Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD, later enhanced to REDD+) in developing countries through which a financial value could be created on the value for the carbon stored in
April 22, 2016 Read Full Article
A Model of State and Federal Biofuel Policy: Feasibility Assessment of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard
by Adam Christensen, Benjamin Hobbs (Science Direct/Applied Energy) Biofuel policy is under near constant review at both the federal and state level. For example, as part of on-going implementation of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the California Air
March 03, 2016 Read Full Article
Meeting the California Low Carbon Challenge
by Susanna Retka Schill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Eighty-nine ethanol producers west of the Mississippi River prepare for the revised LCFS. ... After a couple of years in limbo due to challenges to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the California carbon credit
February 22, 2016 Read Full Article
Top 10 Bioeconomy and Biofuels Predictions for 2016
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A mere “The Year in Rewind” as we reach the end of 2015? Not the good ship Digest! Instead, we dust off our crystal ball and peer into tomorrowland. As the sunset of 2015 gives way
January 04, 2016 Read Full Article
$1M USDA Grant Awarded to The Climate Trust to Build Conservation Investment Fund
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the Climate Trust received a $1 million Conservation Innovation Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to launch their inaugural investment fund; structured to provide carbon finance to biogas, forestry and
September 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Kyoto Protocol's Carbon Credit Scheme ‘Increased Emissions by 600m Tonnes’
by Arthur Neslen (The Guardian) Major UNFCCC carbon trading scheme hit by serious corruption allegations involving organised crime in Russia and Ukraine -- A key carbon offsetting scheme was so open to abuse that three quarters of its allowances lacked environmental
August 25, 2015 Read Full Article
Oil Industry Kills California Assembly Bill to Support Biofuel Expansion
by Peter Waldman (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) The oil industry did some intellectual gymnastics last week over California’s low-carbon fuel standard, a 2007 mandate that gasoline refiners reduce the carbon intensity of their transportation fuels 10 percent by 2020. After arguing for
June 12, 2014 Read Full Article
Carbon Market Lessons and Global Policy Outlook
by Richard G. Newell, William A. Pizer, Daniel Raimi (Science Magazine) Prices in the European Union's (EU) Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) spent 2013 at historic lows. Elected officials have promised to repeal the Australian carbon market. Yet five new regional carbon
March 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Colonialism and the Green Economy: Villagers Defy Pressure to Forfeit Farms for Carbon-Offset
by Daniel C Marotta and Jennifer Coute-Marotta (Truthout) All names are fictitious as sources requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation. Anonymity and people's requests that no pictures be taken were prerequisites for attaining interviews. No one wanted to go
January 14, 2013 Read Full Article
Carbon Credits Gone Awry: Coolant Companies Raise Output of Harmful Gas
By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Andrew W. Lehren (The New York Times) ...But where the United Nations envisioned environmental reform, some manufacturers of gases used in air-conditioning and refrigeration saw a lucrative business opportunity. They quickly figured out that they could earn one carbon
August 09, 2012 Read Full Article
KLM Biofuel Flight to Rio Takes off as Innovative Programme Is Launched to Involve Global Corporations in Aviation Biofuels
(GreenAirOnline) As a KLM Boeing 777-200 was readied for yesterday’s longest-ever commercial biofuel flight from Amsterdam to Rio de Janeiro, KLM and aviation biofuel supplier SkyNRG announced a new programme that will involve global corporations in participating in the development
June 27, 2012 Read Full Article
Soil Erosion Increasing Global Warming Threat: UNEP
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Global warming will get worse as agricultural methods accelerate the rate of soil erosion, which depletes the amount of carbon the soil is able to store, a United Nations' Environment Programme report said on Monday. Soil contains
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Carbon Dioxide Applications – A Key to Ethanol Project Developments
by Sam A. Rushing (Biofuels Digest) ...All ethanol ventures should take a fresh look at CO2 as a great opportunity for future revenue developments, probably as a primary reason, would be for CO2 recovery and marketing. The second reason, of
November 28, 2011 Read Full Article
Carbon Corner: A New Commodity Futures Contract with a Carbon Twist
by Dawson Williams (Carbon Advisory Services/Biofuels Digest) ...It may be not so long in coming considering the volumes of biotech crops and their lower energy footprints. Should there be a new commodity contract that captures the market value of these
March 07, 2011 Read Full Article
Bahamas Waste Biodiesel Hit by 'Poor' Oil Quality
by Alison Lowe (The Tribune) Bahamas Waste's biodiesel production has been delayed after the company discovered used cooking oil donated for conversion was "in far worse shape" than expected. Having expected the first batch of biodiesel to be produced at its $750,000
December 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Carbon Dioxide Recycling in the Biofuels Industry,” a Special Digest report
by Sam A. Rushing (Biofuels Digest) ...Since CO2 has been shown to be the globe’s worst offender as a greenhouse gas, the very use of this gas in a technology which would foster the production of viable basic chemicals, plastics,
September 14, 2010 Read Full Article
Carbon Mitigation, Carbon Market Opportunities for Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, Rick Gilmore, President/CEO of The GIC Group discussed possible carbon mitigation strategies which the biofuel industry could pursue as U.S. regulations and mandates come online. Of key
May 03, 2010 Read Full Article
UN Seen Backing Biofuels in Carbon Mechanism
(Economic Times, Reuters) A United Nations panel has approved the inclusion of biofuels in a global scheme to reduce cargon emissions, a move that should boost investments in such projects, a Brazilian government official said on Friday. "The United Nations has