Episode 88 – Fueling the Future — or the Fire? Biofuels, Energy Security and the Pressure on Forests

Title: Episode 88 – Fueling the Future — or the Fire? Biofuels, Energy Security and the Pressure on Forests Author(s): Worm, Loa Dalgaard Description: In this episode of Forest for the Future, we step a little outside the forest itself and into the world of energy policy. With oil prices volatile and supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz under pressure, governments around the world are racing to secure their energy supply. One of the tools many are turning to is biofuels, blended into diesel and petrol and often produced from crops such as palm oil, soy, sugarcane and maize. That can sound like a climate win. But it can also mean new pressure on forests, peatlands, food systems and the communities who depend on them. Host Loa Worm is joined by Patrick Schröder, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, to explore whether biofuels can really deliver energy security without driving deforestation. From Indonesia’s move from B40 to B50, to Brazil’s ethanol experience, India’s blending programmes and the challenge of indirect land-use change and deforestation, the conversation looks at how today’s political decisions on energy can ripple all the way into the forest. The episode also explores the role of certification systems such as FSC, RSPO and ISCC. Patrick explains why certification can be a genuine safeguard, but not a political shortcut. Biofuels are neither a silver bullet nor a villain. It all depends on how they are governed.