Biofuels industry reacts to Trump’s Paris climate change accord announcement

EXCLUSIVE - The biofuels industry has reiterated its commitment to tackling climate change in light of President Trump’s announcement that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement.

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor told Biofuels International: “Biofuels like ethanol stand ready to continue helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions - with or without the Paris deal. In its January 12, 2017, report, USDA found that corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43% compared to conventional gasoline today, would further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2022, and has the potential to reduce emissions by as much as 76%.”

Yesterday (1 June, 2017), Trump framed his decision to pull the US from the landmark Paris climate agreement as “a reassertion of America’s sovereignty”, adding he was “elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.

Clean energy future

In a statement, not as a response to Trump’s announcement, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen said: “Whether the US is a participant in the Paris accord or not, the US can continue to lead the world on clean energy development and carbon reduction given the right policy environment.

“Smart policies like the Renewable Fuel Standard have empowered consumers and mobilised the marketplace to invest in clean energy technology and infrastructure that will continue to lower greenhouse emissions from transportation. According to USDA, today’s corn ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 43% compared to 2005-era petroleum, and a recent report by Life Cycle Associates shows that biofuels consumed under the RFS2 have reduced US greenhouse gas emissions by more than 350 million metric tonnes since 2008. Biofuels like ethanol make sense both environmentally and economically; our industry will continue to innovate, grow, and fight climate change regardless of whether the US is party to the Paris agreement.”

Joanne M. Ivancic, executive director at Advanced Biofuels USA, said: “Advanced Biofuels USA has faith that the world will continue to develop technologies and products to address climate change, improve air quality, and develop truly sustainable, renewable fuels for transportation, cooking, heat and power with or without the US government’s formal participation in the Paris Agreement. 

“Advances took place without US participation in the Kyoto Accords. The world’s efforts to make this a better world obviously do not depend on US government policy. Lack of leadership in this area from the US government does not mean lack of leadership from the American people, organizations or companies.”

Brian Jennings, executive vice president of the American Coalition for Ethanol, added: “The science is clear. Biofuels make significant reductions in GHG emissions and the biofuels sector will play a role in mitigating climate change effects whether or not the U.S. is party to an international climate change accord.”

UK perspective

Mark Chesworth, managing director at Vivergo Fuels, told Biofuels International: “In light of Trump’s announcement, now more than ever it’s time for the UK to demonstrate its own commitment to the environment and to mitigating climate change.

“Disappointingly, although the UK government has the perfect opportunity to clean up petrol and cut emissions through the introduction of a greener fuel called E10, it has so far procrastinated. This is damaging both its environmental and industrial ambitions, with the UK’s bioethanol industry and the thousands of farmers it supports suffering as a result.

“Such dithering needs to stop and we want to see clear policy, starting with a mandate for the swift, coordinated rollout of E10 at UK pumps, to be reassured that the government really is as committed to tackling air quality and reducing climate change as it claims it is.”

Danish perspective 

Nordic Green co-founder Per Sune Koustrup told Biofuels International: “By each day it becomes more and more evident that we have to change the course of our actions and drastic and immediate actions are required to avoid the worst consequences of global warming.

“Biomethanol is probably the only biofuel that can be produced in the amount needed in time and at a sufficient low cost. More than 110 exajoule is used in the transport sector globally on an annual basis and the methanol-technologies are at high Technical Readiness Levels (TRLs) of which reason it is "just" for the world-leaders, including Mr. Trump, to decide to leave the fossil and polluting era of oil behind and embrace the future of renewable, clean alternative fuels with NOx and PM reductions exceeding 80% compared to diesel and gasoline.

“The GHG savings normally exceed 90 % and almost always 80%. Trump can't stop the progress, the individual states of America such as California and New York will move forward and his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement will therefore have little actual consequence.”

 

This article was written by Liz Gyekye, editor of Biofuels International.