UNICA applauds CARB move on ILUC

In California, Brazilian sugarcane producers applaud the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for once again declaring that sugarcane ethanol is one of the most environmentally friendly biofuels supplying today’s market.

Research unveiled on Tuesday in CARB’s staff proposal to strengthen the State of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) provides new compelling evidence of the role sugarcane can play to lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce petroleum use. This proposal moves California one step forward toward supporting a healthier, cleaner planet.

CARB’s proposal to revise indirect land-use change (ILUC) estimates in the LCFS shows the Brazilian sugarcane biofuel generates about half the indirect emissions that CARB originally suggested during its rulemaking process in 2009. If implemented, these revised ILUC estimates will confirm what numerous other studies have shown: sugarcane ethanol is one of the most environmentally friendly biofuels supplying today’s market.

UNICA welcomes CARB’s proposal to revisit its original estimates by putting science first. We look forward to providing detailed comments to this CARB proposal, as we have done in past.

Additional information from the meeting is available here: http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/lcfs/lcfs_meetings/lcfs_meetings.htm