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The limits of bioenergy for mitigating global life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels

Author

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  • Mark D. Staples

    (Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Robert Malina

    (Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    † Present address: Center for Environmental Sciences, Hasselt University, Campus Diepenbeek, Agoralaan Building D, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.)

  • Steven R. H. Barrett

    (Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Abstract

The size of the global bioenergy resource has been studied extensively; however, the corresponding life-cycle greenhouse gas benefit of bioenergy remains largely unexplored at the global scale. Here we quantify the optimal use of global bioenergy resources to offset fossil fuels in 2050. We find that bioenergy could reduce life-cycle emissions from fossil fuel-derived electricity and heat, and liquid fuels, by a maximum of 4.9–38.7 Gt CO2e, or 9–68%, and that offsetting electricity and heat with bioenergy is on average 1.6–3.9 times more effective for emissions mitigation than offsetting liquid fuels. At the same time, liquid fuels make up 18–49% of the optimal allocation of bioenergy in our results for 2050, indicating that a mix of bioenergy end-uses maximizes life-cycle emissions reductions. Finally, emissions reductions are maximized by limiting deployment of total available primary bioenergy to 29–91% in our analysis, demonstrating that life-cycle emissions are a constraint on the usefulness of bioenergy for mitigating global climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark D. Staples & Robert Malina & Steven R. H. Barrett, 2017. "The limits of bioenergy for mitigating global life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 2(2), pages 1-8, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:2:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1038_nenergy.2016.202
    DOI: 10.1038/nenergy.2016.202
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    Cited by:

    1. Yang, Zaoli & Ahmad, Salman & Bernardi, Andrea & Shang, Wen-long & Xuan, Jin & Xu, Bing, 2023. "Evaluating alternative low carbon fuel technologies using a stakeholder participation-based q-rung orthopair linguistic multi-criteria framework," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 332(C).
    2. Nariê Rinke Dias de Souza & Alexandre Souza & Mateus Ferreira Chagas & Thayse Aparecida Dourado Hernandes & Otávio Cavalett, 2022. "Addressing the contributions of electricity from biomass in Brazil in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals using life cycle assessment methods," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 980-995, June.
    3. Yu, Ziyue & Zhang, Fan & Gao, Chenzhen & Mangi, Eugenio & Ali, Cheshmehzangi, 2024. "The potential for bioenergy generated on marginal land to offset agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PA).
    4. Geissler, Caleb H. & Ryu, Joonjae & Maravelias, Christos T., 2024. "The future of biofuels in the United States transportation sector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    5. Luis Ramirez Camargo & Gabriel Castro & Katharina Gruber & Jessica Jewell & Michael Klingler & Olga Turkovska & Elisabeth Wetterlund & Johannes Schmidt, 2022. "Pathway to a land-neutral expansion of Brazilian renewable fuel production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Rasheed, Rizwan & Tahir, Fizza & Yasar, Abdullah & Sharif, Faiza & Tabinda, Amtul Bari & Ahmad, Sajid Rashid & Wang, Yubo & Su, Yuehong, 2022. "Environmental life cycle analysis of a modern commercial-scale fibreglass composite-based biogas scrubbing system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 1261-1271.
    7. Ren, Lei & Zhou, Sheng & Ou, Xunmin, 2023. "The carbon reduction potential of hydrogen in the low carbon transition of the iron and steel industry: The case of China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).

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