British Report Points to Key Distinctions Between Different Types of Biofuels, According...

British Report Points to Key Distinctions Between Different Types of Biofuels,
According to Brazil's Ethanol Producers

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- An important step in the right
direction. That is how Brazil's Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA)
assesses the report "Sustainable Biofuels: Prospects and Challenges", released
by Britain's Royal Society on January 14, 2008. The report's key conclusions
are that each biofuel must be evaluated on its own merits and governments
should ensure their policies promote only the sustainable production and use
of biofuels that result in meaningful emissions reduction.
According to UNICA President and CEO Marcos Jank, the Royal Academy's
conclusion should go a long way to clarify misleading and incomplete
information that often surfaces when Brazilian ethanol, produced from
sugarcane, is lumped together with less efficient biofuels produced from non-
sustainable sources.
"Biofuels can be produced from various feedstocks, and they are not all
the same," Jank says, emphasizing that ethanol from sugarcane produced in
Brazil is widely recognized as the most efficient in terms of reduced
greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy balance and lower production costs.
"Studies produced in various countries frequently consider biofuels as if
they were somehow equals that one can compare. Unfortunately, some studies
arrive at broad conclusions without recognizing the profound differences that
exist among different biofuels. These generalizations are often the basis for
misleading assessments about Brazilian sugarcane ethanol."
The Royal Society report highlights the importance of continued
independent research for a complete picture about the sustainability of
different types of biofuels. "The sugar and ethanol industry in Brazil is
ready to cooperate with these efforts. We find it essential that quality
analyses and unbiased comparisons continue to be produced and disseminated,"
concludes Jank.
The British report comes at a defining moment for the future of biofuels
in Europe as a new directive governing the use of renewable energy is expected
to be issued on January 23. Once the directive is approved by the European
Parliament in coming months, it will lead to the implementation of the
decision reached by the heads of government of EU member states requiring a
10% biofuel target for transportation fuels by 2020.
"We are optimistic that Europe will not only implement the 10% biofuel
mix, but to also adopt biofuel certification mechanisms that come from a
transparent consultative process that involves all interested parties,
including the world's major producers," says Jank.
About UNICA:
Brazil's Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) represents the top
producers of sugar and ethanol in the country's South-Central region,
especially the state of Sao Paulo, which accounts for 60% of the country's
total production. Along with its 101 member companies, UNICA develops position
papers, statistics and specific research in support of the sugar and ethanol
sector. Its membership accounts for about 50% of Brazil's sugarcane harvest.
In 2007, Brazil produced 425 million metric tons of sugarcane, which yielded
29.8 million tons of sugar and 17.7 billion liters of ethanol.
MORE INFORMATION:
Bureau de Ideias Associadas
Sao Paulo - Brazil
(55 11) 3679-9108
Fernanda Campos - fernanda@bureauideias.com.br
Jorge Pacheco - jorge@bureauideias.com.br

http://www.portalunica.com.br/portalunicaenglish

SOURCE Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA)

Fernanda Campos, fernanda@bureauideias.com.br, or Jorge Pacheco,
jorge@bureauideias.com.br, both of Bureau de Ideias Associadas,
+011-5511-3679-9108 for UNICA