Carbon Footprint and GHG Reduction Potential of Bioethanol Production in the Philippines

Abstract As the Philippine bioethanol industry concluded its first decade, it is in due time to assess whether the objectives of the Biofuels Act of 2006 (Republic Act No. 9367) are being met. Specifically, the law aims to reduce the country’s dependence on oil importation, mitigate toxic and greenhouse gases (GHGs), and promote the use of biofuels from indigenous resources to boost the country’s rural economy, by mandating biofuels blending to fossil-based fuels for transport use. This study examined the contribution of seven bioethanol production systems to the country’s climate change mitigation efforts by assessing the environmental impacts, particularly the carbon footprint and GHG emission reduction potential of each bioethanol distillery through life cycle assessment (LCA). Results of the environmental impact assessment revealed that the weighted average carbon footprint of the seven bioethanol production systems is at 1,415.66 gCO 2 e L −1 , which ranges from 287 to 1,726 gCO 2 e L −1 , translating to an average GHG reduction potential of 47.54% or an average avoided GHG of 268,091.15 tons CO 2 e yr −1 for CY 2019-2020. With the environmental hotspots identified, recommendations were made to improve the distilleries’ carbon footprints, and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to quantify the benefits from the recommended strategies. By applying all strategies, the average GHG reduction potential of the seven bioethanol production systems can get as high as 85.63%, which can be translated to an average avoided GHG of 482,933.91 tons CO 2 e yr −1 .