What are the socio-economic and environmental co-benefits related to biofuels production for the transport sector? How can we measure values other than mere CO2 reductions? These were questions put out in the project Environmental and socio-economic benefits from Swedish biofuel production, carried out within the f3 and the Swedish Energy Agency collaborative research program Renewable transportation fuels and systems. The project aimed to identify the aggregated environmental benefits from biofuel production by-products due to replaced conventional products (e.g. fertilizers, materials, etc.) and utilities and services (e.g. integration with other industries and district heating) in addition to the socio-economic benefits. This was made through a screening and review of job creation and assessment methods for other benefits. A concluding report an a scientific paper have been delivered from the project.
Now a support analysis has been completed that focuses on job creation metrics. This socio-economic analysis delivers a screening review of job creation assessments, and a review of methods used to enumerate other socio-economic and environmental benefits. It is intended that this deliver insights to the relative performance of biofuel systems as compared to systems where fossil fuels are used in transportation, or where biofuels or feedstocks, or both are imported.
The support analysis has been written by Philip Peck, Lund University, together with scientists at IVL and Bio4Energy (LTU). Access the full report, in English with at Swedish summary, among the other two deliveries on the project site.