Global Biofuel Alliance

Global Biofuel Alliance

News: Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of G20 Summit announced the launch of the Global Biofuels Alliance.

Background:
• A total of 19 countries and 12 international organizations have so far agreed to join the alliance, including both G20 members and non-member countries. India, Brazil and the US are the founding members of the alliance.
• The Global Biofuel Alliance will be India led 2nd initiative at a multilateral platform after the International Solar Alliance (ISA) launched at COP21 in 2015 along with France.

What is the Global Biofuel Alliance?
• Global Biofuel Alliance is being established by India, Brazil and US which together account for 85% of global Ethanol Production.
• It will be an international platform for sharing best practices, promoting sustainable biofuel development and enhancing its application. It aims to impact global energy architecture and achieve the target of net-zero emissions.

What are the objectives of Global Biofuel Alliance?
• To promote international collaboration and cooperation to encourage the acceptance and utilisation of biofuels.
• To develop robust markets for biofuels and facilitate global trade in biofuels.
• To promote policy coordination, share concrete policy lessons, and provide technical support to national biofuel programs worldwide.
• To foster technology advancements and innovation in the biofuel sector, especially in areas such as sustainability, efficiency, and affordability.
• To shape robust standard setting and certification mechanisms for biofuels, ensuring their quality, safety, and environmental performance.

What is the significance of the alliance for India?
• The transfer of technologies and mobilisation of international climate funds through the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA) will help India to move faster in the compressed biogas sector and third generation ethanol plant capacities.
• Learn from the best – India which has already achieved ethanol blending (E-10) standard and has set a target of achieving E-20 by 2025-26 will look to learn from Brazil which has achieved E-85.
• India can make use of Brazilian technologies for the introduction of Flex Fuel Vehicles, capable of running on a wide range of fuel
blends, from zero to E85. It will significantly reduce emissions and cut down on India’s crude oil import bill.
• India can use the alliance to increase its share in biofuel production and can become a major exporting nation.
• India can raise its stature as a significant and sincere nation as far as taking stand on climate change is concerned.
• Increased investments in the biofuel sector would create employment opportunities for thousands of youth and reap in rich ‘demographic dividend’.
• Increased use of biofuel has consistently supported farmers. Farmers of sugarcane crop who are reeling under the financial burden of low sugar prices have been relieved of their financial burden through biofuels. GBA will help in further easing the farmer’s financial burden and doubling their income.

Which government initiatives have supported increased use of Biofuels?
• National Policy on Biofuels 2018 - It expands the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane juice, sugar containing materials like sugar beet, sweet sorghum.
• Ethanol Blending – E10 achieved, now E20 is the focus.
• GOBAR DHAN Scheme - It focuses on managing and converting cattle dung and solid waste in farms to useful compost, biogas and bio-CNG.
• Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN yojana – To Boost 2G ethanol projects
• RUCO initiative – Led by FSSAI it aims for an ecosystem that will enable the collection and conversion of used cooking oil to biodiesel.