Page 35 - Biofuels for a More Sustainable Future

Biofuel transitions 29

The production of biofuels can contribute to local energy security by
revitalizing cultural traditions. “In the boreal forest, many remote commu-
nities have no year-round road or connections to electricity grids and are
dependent on diesel generators supplied by fuel flown or barged in at high
cost. These communities are often surrounded by forest that could provide
the necessary biomass for energy generation, making the community more
self-sufficient, reducing costs, providing employment, keeping wages and
benefits within the community, and generally integrating well with a
forest-based culture” (Demirbas, 2017, p. 50).
Looking at the other side of the coin, however, the production of crops
for biofuels could also be detrimental to local communities (Obidzinski
et al., 2012). Plantations of fuel crops may affect negatively social relations
and land ownership in rural areas. Large companies involved in fuel crop
plantations abuse local communities’ human rights, particularly during the
process of land acquisition and plantation development. Other conflicts
involving plantation developers and local communities concern lack of rec-
ognition of customary rights, breached agreements, and disregard for the
environment. “In 2010 no fewer than 630 land disputes between palm
oil companies and local communities had taken place in Indonesia”
(Obidzinski et al., 2012).
As it seems, pros and cons are associated with biofuel production. This
calls for an effective regulatory framework able to maximize positive impacts
minimizing, at the same time, potential negative effects. In what follows, the
regulatory framework will be scrutinized in a comparative perspective look-
ing both at EU and US regulatory frameworks. The EU/US comparative
approach will be complemented by an overview of Chinese, Indian, and
Brazilian regulatory frameworks. This study will allow pointing out lessons
learned from alternative experiences and drawing conclusions on future
developments.

4 The role of policy: Regulation and standards

4.1 The Europe framework
4.1.1 Source of law and motivation
As for the EU biofuels framework the sources of law can be divided into
EU’s law and member states’ law. At the EU level biofuels are regulated
mostly by directives which establish general goals and rules but simulta-
neously have to be implemented by member states in their own legal and
administrative systems. At the states’ level biofuels related legal acts can take