A study dated January 2022, released in February 2024.

Background

For several decades, national policies aimed at decarbonizing transportation have placed a strong emphasis on biofuels. Today, the majority of biofuels consumed worldwide are so-called “first-generation” biofuels—that is, those produced from agricultural crops that could also be used for food. Long touted as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, numerous studies have highlighted the hidden impacts of these biofuels: a carbon footprint comparable to that of fossil fuels, pressure on biodiversity and soil, and strain on food production, among others. These impacts are primarily linked to land-use change (LUC): when increased agricultural production leads to the cultivation of new land, through deforestation or the conversion of grasslands into cropland, for example. In light of these proven risks, the use of palm oil as a biofuel, for example, has been banned in France since January 1, 2020.

But what about other biofuels? In fact, several companies in France offer biofuels made entirely from French rapeseed and claim that their environmental impact is better than that of fossil fuels. This is the case, for example, with Oleo100, a B100 biofuel produced by Saipol for in-house heavy-duty truck fleets, or with coc100 (Centre Ouest Céréales). Based on these examples and at the request of companies interested in this solution to decarbonize their vehicle fleets, Carbone 4 sought to answer the following questions:

• What is the carbon footprint of biofuel produced from French rapeseed, and what are the potential risks associated with land-use change?
• What market opportunities might be expected for this biofuel sector by 2050, in a low-carbon world?

Study Contents

Our study assesses the risks of land-use change associated with biofuel production from French rapeseed and concludes that:

• Direct CAS risks have been considered zero since 2008 and the implementation of the European directive known as RED.
• The risks of indirect CAS are low but not zero. Carbone 4 believes that biofuel made from French rapeseed is preferable to other first-generation biofuels that pose a higher risk of CAS (palm oil and soybeans).
• However, like any first-generation biofuel, its production is in potential competition with food consumption. On this key point, Advanced biofuels are still preferable to any first-generation biofuel.

Important note: The results of this study are valid for a rapeseed production volume in France similar to that of the past decade. If that volume were to increase significantly, the results would no longer be valid.

Other factors must also be taken into account when assessing the environmental impact of biofuels. On the one hand, there are certain co-benefits, such as the co-production of rapeseed meal—which is rich in protein for animal feed—that helps avoid emissions associated with soybean imports while also enhancing France’s self-sufficiency in plant proteins. On the other hand, there are the vulnerabilities of rapeseed crops and their non-carbon impacts (pesticide use, impact on biodiversity, etc.).

The assumptions and conclusions are detailed and supported by evidence in the full study, which is available on this page.

Contacts

Nicolas Meunier, Project Manager, Member of the Mobility Division, nicolas.meunier@carbone4.com

Clément Ory, Manager, Head of the Agriculture/Agri-Food Division, clement.ory@carbone4.com