Environmental benefits
Bioethanol can reduce the environmental impact of the transportation sector. The transport sector is responsible for about one fifth of CO2 emissions on a global scale. If nothing is done, transport is expected to be the main driver of future global CO2 emission increases.
Bioethanol and biodiesel are currently the only readily available alternatives to fossil fuel. It is now commonly accepted that first-generation bioethanol is able to reduce CO2 emissions by between 20 and 50% compared to petroleum-based fuels depending on the energy efficiency of the bioethanol plant. It is expected that second-generation bioethanol will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 90% compared to petroleum-based fuels.
Economic benefits
The true effects of bioethanol production on jobs is uncertain. However, several reports published in recent years have tried to assess the effects, and the following estimates from these reports indicate that the effects may be both beneficial and substantial.
- Estimates based on the 2017 US target of 35 billion
gallons of alternative fuels indicate the creation of
roughly 200,000 jobs. - Similarly, predictions from the 2020 EU target of 10%
replacement of fossil-based fuels with biofuels show the
creation of roughly 100,000 jobs. - The ethanol industry has created 700,000 jobs in the
rural areas of Brazil. - By 2020 almost 600,000 people will be employed in the bioethanol industry in China
