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Californian regulators this week approved tough new standards governing the carbon intensity of bioethanol that will force producers to account for the lifecycle emissions that result from the production of biofuels.
The Californian Air Resources Board (CARB) said the new Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) will reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels used in California by an average of 10 per cent by the year 2020, by forcing bioethanol producers to measure the emissions that result from the production, transportation, and land use changes associated with biofuels.
Congress adopted a renewable fuels standard in 2005 and strengthened it in December 2007 requiring that 36bn gallons of biofuel be sold annually by 2022, of which 21bn gallons must qualify as "advanced" second generation biofuels.
However, environmental campaigners have long argued that these targets will not necessarily lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions as they fail ...