‘Low ILUC-Risk’ as a Sustainability Standard for Biofuels in the EU
Open accessAbstract
Producers of biofuels for the EU market may use ‘low ILUC-risk’ certification as evidence that they have not deprived other economic sectors of feedstock material, and hence that indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions have been avoided. At present, the uptake of low ILUC-risk certification is limited to a handful of niche projects, as there is little commercial incentive for obtaining certification. This may be considered a missed opportunity, because low ILUC-risk farming methods offer a range of sustainability co-benefits beyond the mitigation of ILUC emissions. This paper examines the policy foundations of low ILUC-risk and develops policy recommendations that would aim to confer advantages to low ILUC-risk biofuels. Some weaknesses in the low ILUC-risk system’s environmental safeguards are also highlighted.
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Current EU approaches for calculating GHG emission savings are often criticized for potentially overestimating savings, particularly due to inadequate handling of ILUC emissions for crop-based biofuels and use of default emission factors that may not accurately reflect the GHG footprint associated with feedstock geographical origin and specific supply chain logistics.
“Current EU approaches are often criticized for potentially overestimating savings, particularly due to the inadequate handling of ILUC emissions for crop-based biofuels and the use of default emission factors that may not accurately reflect the GHG footprint associated with feedstock geographical origin and specific supply chain logistics [104,266,267].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [104]
The potential exists for the identical biofuel raw material to be classified variously across various EU member states, hindering market harmonization.
“Furthermore, the potential exists for the identical biofuel raw material to be classified variously across various EU member states, hindering market harmonization [104].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [104]
First-generation biofuels derived from food crops face sustainability challenges due to direct competition with food supply, concerns about food prices and security, and extensive land and water requirements.
“1-G biofuels, derived from food crops [100], face significant sustainability challenges due to direct competition with food supply, leading to concerns about food prices and security, and extensive land and water requirements [104,105,382].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [104]
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Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
Yılbaşı, Z. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17136145 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
- Authors
- Sandford, C., Malins, C., Vourliotakis, G., & Panoutsou, C.
- Affiliations
- Cerulogy, London WC2H 9JQ, UK
- Exergia, Energy, Management and Information Technology (GR)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Panoutsou, Calliope
- Venue
- Energies
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2024-05-14
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2365
- ISSN
- 1996-1073 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4396894630
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7
- FWCI
- 7.96
- 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)
- Funders
- European Commission (952872)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Bioeconomy and Sustainability Development
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Keywords
- indirect land use change, biofuels, sustainability standards, environmental safeguards, biofuel policy
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