Plenary Session 1: Keynote Lectures

Tuesday 22 October 2024, 15.00-16.30 BRT

Keynote Lecture 1:

André Aranha Corrêa do Lago – Secretary for Climate, Energy and Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil – Video recording

Lais de Souza Garcia – Head of the Renewable Energy Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil – Video recording

Selected key messages:

  • The trajectory of the last two years with the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance, Brazil in the presidency of the G20 bringing biofuels to the energy transition agenda, and the recent adoption of the Fuels of the Future law, will bring a boom in investments in the biofuels market in the country.
  • It is possible for Brazil to produce sustainable biofuels, including SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and marine biofuels. However, the development of the sector worldwide is urgent. Climate change is ongoing, and we have to use biofuel technologies already available and developed, and particularly include developing countries. It is essential that G20 countries bear in mind that low-carbon economies must have inclusive processes, taking into account social dimensions in these discussions.
  • Biofuels bring much more than greenhouse gas reduction: they allow for greater sustainable development, with its social and economic dimensions. At the international level it is important to work towards a consensus on carbon accounting and how to assess sustainability, with consistent and common criteria in the various countries. They must be defined based on science. And we will continue participating in this discussion in November next year, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP 30) in Brazil.

Keynote Lecture 2:

Jim Spaeth – Program Manager Bioenergy Technologies Office Program, Department of Energy, USA: Video recording  US SAF Grand Challenge and Bioeconomy – 

Bulletin: United States aims to replace 100% of its domestic aviation fuels consumption with SAF by 2050 

Selected key messages:

  • The food versus fuel dilemma has delayed the fight against climate change. However, Brazil expanded both its food and bioenergy production at the same time in the past decades. This was made possible through innovations in agricultural technology and agricultural practices, as well as through crop intensification. Overall, sugarcane products provide 15.4% of the Brazilian energy matrix. Sugarcane and corn ethanol provide around 40% of fuel for light duty vehicles. This is linked with the use of 4% of the Brazilian agricultural land.
  • In terms of potential land use change an analysis was made of the payback time to compensate for the loss of soil carbon in land conversion to sugarcane. With cropland conversion to sugarcane there is no carbon payback time; in case of conversion of pasture (representing 70% of sugarcane expansion in Brazil) the payback time is 2 to 3 years. When Cerrado land is converted (<1% of sugarcane expansion), payback time would be around 8 years.
  • Large scale bioenergy is possible in many countries where land is available, and sugarcane is a suitable crop in many (developing) countries, able to concurrently produce sugar, ethanol and bagasse for energy. Bioenergy generates jobs and brings technology and infrastructure to rural areas, also facilitating food production.

Keynote Lecture 3:

Heitor Cantarella – Director of Soils and Environment Center, Agronomical Institute of Campinas, Brazil: Bioenergy, food production and land preservation – Video recording – Bioenergy, food production, and land preservation

Selected key messages:

    • The food versus fuel dilemma has delayed the fight against climate change. However, Brazil expanded both its food and bioenergy production at the same time in the past decades. This was made possible through innovations in agricultural technology and agricultural practices, as well as through crop intensification. Overall, sugarcane products provide 15.4% of the Brazilian energy matrix. Sugarcane and corn ethanol provide around 40% of fuel for light duty vehicles. This is linked with the use of 4% of the Brazilian agricultural land.
    • In terms of potential land use change an analysis was made of the payback time to compensate for the loss of soil carbon in land conversion to sugarcane. With cropland conversion to sugarcane there is no carbon payback time; in case of conversion of pasture (representing 70% of sugarcane expansion in Brazil) the payback time is 2 to 3 years. When Cerrado land is converted (<1% of sugarcane expansion), payback time would be around 8 years.
    • Large scale bioenergy is possible in many countries where land is available, and sugarcane is a suitable crop in many (developing) countries, able to concurrently produce sugar, ethanol and bagasse for energy. Bioenergy generates jobs and brings technology and infrastructure to rural areas, also facilitating food production.

Keynote Lecture 4:

Maria Georgiadou – Senior Expert Renewable Fuels, Biofuels and Bioenergy, Directorate – General for Research and Innovation, European Commission: Video recording – EU R&I policy and support for Renewable Fuels

Recording:

Selected key messages:

  • Several EU policies affect the development of renewable fuels. The European Green Deal is the overarching policy and affects almost every economic sector in the EU. It is implemented by the Fit for 55 Package, a set of legislations including the Renewable Energy Directive, REFuelEU Aviation, and FuelEU maritime. The REPowerEU plan of 2022, which was adopted to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels by 2030, includes a Biomethane Action Plan. Other relevant pieces of legislation are the Hydrogen and Decarbonized Gas Markets package and the EU Net Zero Industry Act of the Green Deal Industrial Plan.
  • Recently an EC study was performed to identify the factors for industrial growth of advanced and sustainable biofuels production in the EU. Key conclusions of the study:
    • Biofuels are critical to meet 2030 policy transport targets, with demand increasing by a factor of 2 to 2.5 compared to 2021. Roughly half of biofuels would be advanced and waste lipid based biofuels in 2030.
    • In terms of feedstocks, the largest potential to further mobilize are primary residues from arable crops, manure and forest residues. Towards 2050, dedicated lignocellulosic crops and oil crops produced on degraded and currently abandoned lands, as well as cover crops or intercropping in combination with normal food production will also become more important.
    • Biofuels also contribute to increasing industrial competitiveness, GDP and net employment in the EU. When advanced biofuels scale up, this role is expected to further increase.