Brazil promotes biofuels at COP30, but how clean are they?

• Biofuel boom gains global momentum, key theme at COP30
• India hits 20% ethanol blend early but faces backlash
• Brazil aims for COP30 target to quadruple sustainable fuels

NEW DELHI - At the U.N. COP30 climate summit in Brazil, several countries are pushing for more biofuels, made from crops like sugarcane and maize, as cleaner and cheaper substitutes for petrol.

At a pre-COP30 meeting in its capital last month, Brazil, backed by Japan, Italy and India, called for the quadrupling of global sustainable fuel production, including biofuels, by 2035.

Yet environmentalists warn that clearing more land to grow crops for biofuels could increase greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and undermine food security.

What are biofuels?

Made from crops or organic waste, biofuels can be used in traditional vehicles like cars, trucks, aircraft and ships as a substitute for fossil fuels, which the International Energy Agency (IEA) says still power more than 90% of global transport.

Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are non-toxic, biodegradable and generally emit fewer harmful particulates and sulphur dioxide than petrol or diesel.

Why are countries investing in them?

Many countries are boosting local production through mandates to mix biofuels with gasoline and diesel.

Globally, biofuel production has increased nine fold since 2000, and in 2023 G20 nations launched the Global Biofuel Alliance to expand the use of these fuels.

That year, nearly 200 million tons of bioethanol and biodiesel were produced globally.

Which countries produce biofuels?

Brazil and the United States remain top producers, but developing nations are catching up fast.

India is one of the world's fastest adopters of biofuels and this year began selling petrol mixed with 20% ethanol, five years ahead of its schedule.

The government says the shift has saved more than 1 trillion Indian rupees ($12 billion) in oil imports and avoided 54 million tons of carbon emissions over the past decade.

But the rapid roll out has provoked a backlash from drivers complaining of engine wear and lower mileage.

Millions of petrol vehicles sold over the past decade are not fully compatible with the 20% ethanol fuel.

Critics also warn that diverting sugarcane, maize and rice to make fuel is tightening food supplies and eroding ethanol's green gains.

How are biofuels made?

Most biofuels come from edible sugar, starch and other food crops like corn grown. These so-called first-generation biofuels are made by extracting oil or fermenting the crops in large distilleries.

The biggest challenge is the demand for land to grow the crops, which can displace food crops or forests that store carbon.

About 8% of global arable land, roughly 112 million hectares, was used for biofuels in 2021, according to Germany's Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants.

In India, diverting grains for ethanol has led to food security concerns. In Indonesia, palm oil-based biodiesel threatens forests.

Second-generation biofuels, made from non-edible feedstocks such as crop waste, woody biomass, or algae could reduce fossil fuel dependence without competing with food crops. But, in India and elsewhere, these projects have struggled to scale.

Are biofuels a clean energy option?

Biofuels emit less carbon when burned than petrol or diesel, but their overall climate impact is more complex. Producing them requires land, fertilisers, irrigation and processing powered largely by fossil fuels.

Research suggests global emissions from biofuel production can exceed those from fossil diesel, mainly due to land cleared for crops.

An October 2025 study by a Brussels-based non-profit Transport & Environment and Cerulogy found biofuels emit 16% more carbon emissions than the fossil fuels they replace once indirect land-use change is counted.

Earlier studies, including a 2022 U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded paper and a 2020 Royal Society journal review, reached similar conclusions.

Supporters say cleaner feedstocks and better land regulation could change that. But critics warn that without social and environmental safeguards, expanding biofuels risks repeating the same costs as the fossil fuel system they are meant to replace.

(Reporting by Bhasker Tripathi; Editing by Jon Hemming.)