Biofuels and Sustainable Transport: A Conceptual Discussion

Sustainability

Erling Holden¹ 

[1] Department of Civil and Transport Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim 7491, Norway

关键词: ecological sustainability;    sustainability assessment and strategies;    biofuels;    sustainable development;    sustainable transport;    industrial ecology;    life cycle assessment;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su5073129

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Strategies for sustainably using biofuels must be thoroughly assessed at several levels. First, the use of biofuels must comply with sustainable development’s main dimensions. Second, the use of biofuels must comply with sustainable transport’s main dimensions. Third, gains from using biofuels strategies must compare favorably to gains from other sustainable transport strategies, such as altering transport patterns and reducing transport volume. Fourth, the gains must compare favorably to gains from improving conventional fossil-fuel-based advanced vehicles. Fifth, the gains must compare favorably to gains from using other alternative fuels. Sixth, the gains from using one generation of biofuels (e.g., first generation) must compare favorably to gains from using others (e.g., second through fourth generations). Performing scientifically sound and fair comparisons demands reliable theoretical perspectives and a well-established methodological basis. Industrial ecology theory and life cycle assessment methodology, respectively, are well-suited for these tasks.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.