Time-Dependent Climate Impact of Utilizing Residual Biomass for Biofuels—The Combined Influence of Modelling Choices and Climate Impact Metrics
Open accessAbstract
Understanding the influence of method choices on results in life-cycle assessments is essential to draw informed conclusions. As the climate impact of bioenergy remains a debated topic, the focus of this study is how the chosen temporal framing influences a comparison of the climate impact of utilizing residual biomass for biofuel production to that of leaving the biomass to decay. In order to compare the biofuel scenario to its corresponding reference scenario where biomass is left to decay, a variety of analytical approaches were used: using time-aggregated and time-dependent life-cycle inventories and climate-impact assessment methods, assuming biogenic carbon to be climate neutral or not, using metrics for cumulative or instantaneous climate impact, and with different time horizons. Two cases of residual biofuel feedstocks were assessed: logging residues from Norway spruce forest, and straw from wheat cultivation. Consideration of the studied method choices appears to be especially relevant for forest residual biomass, as illustrated by the ranges of parity times for logging residues (25 to 95 years), and the results which vary with the chosen climate-impact metric, time-horizon, and approach for including biogenic carbon. Illustrating the time-dependence of results can, in general, provide a better understanding of the climate impact of utilizing residual biomass for biofuels.
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A common conclusion in the current literature on biogenic carbon assessment is that the results of an analysis are highly dependent on the choice of method.
“A common conclusion in the current literature on the assessment of biogenic carbon is that the results of an analysis are highly dependent on the choice of method (Brandão et al. 2019; Olofsson 2021).”
From Balancing the green carbon cycle — Biogenic carbon within life cycle assessment (2025) · cites this paper as Olofsson 2021
Published GWPbio factors are applied by several studies even when the explicit counterfactual to the collection of residues is their decay on site.
“In practice, published GWPbio factors are applied by several studies, even when the explicit counterfactual to the collection of residues is their decay on site (Havukainen et al. 2018; Olofsson 2021; Pfau et al. 2019).”
From Balancing the green carbon cycle — Biogenic carbon within life cycle assessment (2025) · cites this paper as Olofsson 2021
Cites
Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from Land-Use Change
Searchinger, T., Heimlich, R., Houghton, R. A., Dong, F., Elobeid, A., Fabiosa, J., Tokgoz, S., Hayes, D., & Yu, T.-H. (2008) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1151861 · Cited by 4,888 · cited 1× · see citing works
“By-products and residues have often been pointed out as potentially promising sources for bioenergy [31,32], and are promoted as feedstocks for advanced biofuels in current policy such as [3].”
Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt
Fargione, J., Hill, J., Tilman, D., Polasky, S., & Hawthorne, P. (2008) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1152747 · Cited by 3,902 · see citing works
Considering Time in LCA: Dynamic LCA and Its Application to Global Warming Impact Assessments
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“Following this time-dependent approach to LCA is similar to applying dynamic characterization factors [69,70], but the results are presented differently as in this case, the climate impact is given not only as a single number but also as impact over time.”
MethodLamers, P., & Junginger, M. (2013) · Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining · doi:10.1002/bbb.1407 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
The role of forest residues in the accounting for the global warming potential of bioenergy
Guest, G., Cherubini, F., & Strømman, A. H. (2013) · GCB Bioenergy · doi:10.1111/gcbb.12014 · Cited by 70 · cited 4× · see citing works
“Further elaborated GWPbio factors for forest biomass which take into account the decay of unharvested residues at the forest site are available [65].”
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Balancing the green carbon cycle — Biogenic carbon within life cycle assessment
Füchsl, S., Huber, J., Fröhling, M., & Röder, H. (2025) · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · doi:10.1007/s11367-025-02469-0 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“In practice, published GWP bio factors are applied by several studies, even when the explicit counterfactual to the collection of residues is their decay on site (Havukainen et al. 2018; Olofsson 2021; Pfau et al. 2019).”
- Authors
- Olofsson, J.
- Affiliations
- Lund University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Olofsson, Johanna
- ORCID
- Olofsson, Johanna
- Venue
- Energies
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2021-07-13
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 4219
- ISSN
- 1996-1073 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3180398134
- Cited by
- 5
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 0.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Energies (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Energimyndigheten (41251-1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Environmental Impact and Sustainability
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Forest Biomass Utilization and Management
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Bioeconomy and Sustainability Development
- Keywords
- biomass residues, biofuels, climate change impacts, temporal framing, biogenic carbon, climate neutrality, time horizon, logging residues, Norway spruce, wheat straw, forest residues
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