Sustainability Issues in Biomass Feedstock Production: A Policy Perspective - Engineering and Science of Biomass Feedstock Production and Provision - page 248

requirements for fuels in place since 2010, and several private standards have
emerged in response. In response to the “food versus fuel” argument that has pre-
dominated biofuels sustainability policy debates, the EU in late 2012 proposed lim-
iting food-based feedstocks to 5 % of the mandate, decreasing to zero by 2020
[ 124 ]. Cellulosics also receive preference through double counting toward the man-
date, although the EU has not added any additional land-based preferences beyond
GHG bonuses for cropping on highly contaminated and degraded lands.
While the effort to develop sustainability metrics for biomass-to-bioenergy
applications will continue to go forward—particularly in sectors like defense and
aviation that cannot rely on electrifi cation or natural gas—focus will increasingly be
on technology advancements for economically feasible “drop-in” fuels.
Concurrently, advancements continue to be made in the ability to assess, both in the
fi eld and through models, the environmental, social, and economic effects of biofu-
els. In the interim, policies must innovate to incorporate as many ways possible for
biomass producers to feasibly reach sustainability expectations.
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