Drive less or drive cleaner? A spatial analysis of biofuel as a cost-efficient GHG abatement measure

摘要: To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector, there are several options: reduce driving, use more fuel-efficient vehicles, change transport mode, or use less greenhouse gas intensive fuels. In the latter case, biofuels can replace fossil fuels. The optimal mix of measures are determined by spatially specific characteristics such as fuel demand, land available for feedstock production, and transport distances. We develop a spatially explicit optimisation model for fuel consumption and domestic biofuel production to investigate the role of biofuel from agricultural land in a cost-efficient carbon abatement policy for the transport sector. The model is applied to lignocellulosic biofuel, gasoline, and diesel in Sweden. Results show that biofuel from agricultural land can be a cost-efficient abatement option. We find that at low target levels, most abatement is made by biofuel replacement, while decreases in fuel consumption dominate at high abatement levels. A biofuel production target increases the cost of reducing emissions by up to 130% compared to an equivalent CO2 emissions reduction target.