Why biofuels are not the solution

New study shows biofuels emit more CO2 globally than the fossil fuels they replace, with 1/5 of all vegetable oil consumed by cars, not people.

Biofuels—plant-based substitutes for petrol, diesel, heavy fuel oil and even kerosene—were a hot topic at COP30. They are being touted as the solution for decarbonising the transport sector, very much as woody biomass claims to be decarbonising the energy industry. 

The goal, vigorously promoted by Brazil, India, Italy and Japan, is to quadruple the use of biofuels by 2035 in order for them to supply 10% of road transportation, 15% of aviation and 35% of shipping fuel needs.

23 countries had signed up by the end of the Conference. 

So why is this such a bad idea?

Not only do biofuels require land, water, subsidies and energy to grow, but producing and using them emits 16% more CO2 than the fossil fuels they seek to replace, according to the study. 

Hardly a panacea for helping to mitigate the climate crisis…

… or for stemming biodiversity loss… 

… or indeed for feeding the world.

One fifth of all vegetable oil which could be consumed by humans is burned in cars instead. In 2023, this amounted to 120 million tonnes of sugarcane/sugar-beet and 150 million tonnes of corn.

Crops used for biofuel account for just 4% of global transport energy demands but take up 32 million hectares, an area the size of Italy which could, if planted with food crops instead, help feed 1.3 billion people.

Growing biofuels also requires copious amounts of freshwater, fertilisers and pesticides, and pollutes air and water, and erodes soils. Just like any other commodity, biofuels are subject to supply and demand and, as demand increases, so supply is squeezed and food prices soar.  

Yet based on current projections the arable land used to grow biofuels could increase to 52 million ha (an area the size of France) by 2030, with the resulting biofuels emitting 70 million tons of CO₂, equal to the yearly emissions from some 30 million diesel cars, the study found. 

So where will all this extra land come from? Either from converting forests and grasslands to cropland or by farming existing arable land more intensively, thereby emitting even more CO₂ and hastening ecosystem and biodiversity loss.

And the cherry on the cake? When all growing and processing stages are factored in, biofuels use more energy to produce than they actually deliver.

So, what is the solution?

The study found that covering just 3% of the land devoted to growing biofuels with solar farms would produce the same amount of energy.

We must ensure the end of the road for biofuels and greatly reduce all burning in general.

December 2025