The impact of the rebound effect of first generation biofuel use in the EU on greenhouse gas emissions

17th ICABR Conference, 19 June 2013

Edward Smeets, Jamil Moorad, Andrzej Tabeau, Siemen van Berkum, Geert Woltjer, Hans van Meijl

Increasing biofuel use in the EU to 5% in 2010

Driven by blend mandate 10%

Biofuel use in the EU 27

Source: Eurobserv’er, 2012

Feedstock composition of biofuel use in the EU 27 & indirect effects

Source: Eurobserv’er, 2012

Current biofuels made from food crops

Concerns about indirect effects:

● Food prices

● Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC)

Reduction of blend mandate to 5%

Increased stimulation of biofuels from residues and waste

The rebound effect of biofuel use

Change in biofuel use ≠ change in fossil fuel use

Crucial for both environmental impacts AND economic impacts of biofuel use; potential trade-off!

Also known as market leakage, indirect fuel use change, indirect output use change

Well studied issue in relation to energy efficiency, but only recently the rebound effects of biofuel use have received attention

Objectives:

1) To evaluate the dynamics of the rebound effect of biofuel use based on a literature review and CGE modelling

2) To evaluate the impact of the rebound effect of GHG emissions

Conceptual representation of the rebound effect of biofuel use

Source: Drabik and De Gorter, 2011

Simplified conceptual representation of the rebound effect of biofuel use

Distinction between

rebound effect in

biofuel consuming

region (HOME) and

ROW

A 20% rebound effect

means that 1 J increase

of biofuel changes fossil

fuel use by 0.8 J

A -20% rebound effect

means that 1 J increase

of biofuel changes fossil

fuel use by 1.2 J

Literature review & MAGNET CGE analysis Nine studies: 5 US, 2 world and 2 EU

Range of -21% to +119% global rebound effect

USworld

EU

ROW

HOME

• WORLD

Literature review

Negative rebound effects in the biofuel consuming region:

biofuel consumption increase < fossil fuel consumption decrease

Positive rebound effect in the ROW: oil consumption increase

Net positive rebound effect globally

Key factors:

● Biofuel policy: mandate leads to lower rebound effects than biofuel subsidies

● Oil supply and the role of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC):

- Price maker

- Target revenue

- Green paradox

Evaluation of key factorsImpact on

rebound effect

Elasticity of biofuel supply (increase) ↑Elasticity of oil demand (increase; i.e. more negative) ↑Elasticity of oil supply (increase) ↑↑Elasticity of oil supply (compared to competitive oil market approach)

OPEC Price Maker ↑↑OPEC Target Revenue Theory ↑↑↑

Green Paradox theory ↑↑↑Elasticity of substitution between biofuel and fossil fuel (increase) ↑Biofuel policy (in case of uncompetitive biofuel industry or very low biofuel use)  

Biofuel mandate ↑↑

Biofuel credits ↑↑↑Biofuel mandate and tax credits ↑↑

Carbon tax (compared to no tax) ↓↓Source of financing of biofuel tax credits (compared to not considering)

Income tax ↓Agricultural subsidies ↓↓

Petrol tax ↓↓↓Biofuel trade (compared to no considering of these effects) ↑↑ or ↓↓ Oil production costs and oil price (increase) ↓↓Biofuel production costs and price (increase) ↓↓

Impact of rebound effect on GHG emissions of biofuel use (globally)

+88% REUpper range

literature review

+30% REMIRAGE

CGE model

+22% REMAGNET

CGE model

-1% RELower range

literature review

Conclusions Large range in estimates due to differences in approach,

method, scenario assumptions, time fame, geographic scope and other parameters used in economic modelling.

Oil supply and role of OPEC is a key uncertain factor

Tax credits and other financial incentives for biofuel production and use results in higher rebound effects

Most studies indicate that rebound effect in the EU is negative and thus contributes to meeting EU GHG and energy security targets

ROW rebound effects are positive → negative impact on GHG emissions

Rebound effects are crucial for the efficiency and effectiveness of biofuel policies and for economic effects

Thank you for your attention!

International Policy Division

LEI – part of Wageningen UR

Edward Smeets

edward.smeets@wur.nl

070 335 82 43