Incoherent indirect land use change calculation models mislead policy makers
Following the recent stakeholders' consultation organised by the European Commission to address the issue of indirect land use change (ILUC), the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) calls on the Commission to review modelling work and ensure scientific robustness to calculate ILUC.
Developing the science to calculate and understand ILUC has become crucial and Emmanuel Desplechin, chief representative in the European Union for UNICA, said: ‘The role and limits of current models do not give a sound overview of the level of ILUC that can be attributed specifically to biofuels.
‘While giving a positive verdict on some energy crops, such as Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, the studies that have been commissioned in Europe so far have been conducted without much input from international experts and have led to incomplete reports,’ he said.
According to UNICA, discrepancies in recent results highlight the fact that science cannot accurately measure the scale of the ILUC phenomenon due to biofuels expansion. ‘Any public policy based on such highly debatable results would be easily challengeable at the World Trade Organisation,’ Desplechin added.
UNICA believes that if the goal is to address and limit the source of emissions the EU needs to recognise the efforts made in some countries, such as Brazil, to establish sound land use management practices and encourage use of land which is both available and suitable for crops for biofuels without displacing other crops.
Source: UNICA
Developing the science to calculate and understand ILUC has become crucial and Emmanuel Desplechin, chief representative in the European Union for UNICA, said: ‘The role and limits of current models do not give a sound overview of the level of ILUC that can be attributed specifically to biofuels.
‘While giving a positive verdict on some energy crops, such as Brazilian sugarcane ethanol, the studies that have been commissioned in Europe so far have been conducted without much input from international experts and have led to incomplete reports,’ he said.
According to UNICA, discrepancies in recent results highlight the fact that science cannot accurately measure the scale of the ILUC phenomenon due to biofuels expansion. ‘Any public policy based on such highly debatable results would be easily challengeable at the World Trade Organisation,’ Desplechin added.
UNICA believes that if the goal is to address and limit the source of emissions the EU needs to recognise the efforts made in some countries, such as Brazil, to establish sound land use management practices and encourage use of land which is both available and suitable for crops for biofuels without displacing other crops.
Source: UNICA
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