Does ethanol blended petrol meet India's climate commitments? Insights from life cycle assessment of sugarcane derived ethanol in India

India relies heavily on crude oil imports to meet its domestic energy demand. To reduce dependence and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, biofuels such as bioethanol are being promoted. The ethanol blending program is a key initiative under India's biofuel policy, primarily utilizing ethanol derived from sugarcane for blending with petrol/gasoline. Ethanol blending involves mixing bioethanol and conventional petrol to create ethanol blended petrol, a fuel blend that can provide a low emission energy substitute for imported oil. However, the evidence regarding the emission reduction potential of biofuels remains mixed. Existing studies on the life cycle emissions of ethanol in India are limited and have largely relied on secondary data. This study evaluates ethanol production from sugar syrup, B-molasses, and C-molasses, assesses life cycle GHG emissions, and examines the implications of ethanol blending with petrol, using primary data gathered during extensive field visits in two main sugar-producing regions in India: Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. The analysis was conducted using a cradle-to-grave approach using the ReCiPe method with midpoint indicators in SimaPro. The study estimates GHG emissions, along with other environmental impacts on air, water, and land. The life cycle CO 2 eq emissions of 1 L of ethanol in Uttar Pradesh range from 2.6 to 7.3 kgCO 2 eq, while in Karnataka, they range from 3.3 to 10.9 kgCO 2 eq. Our findings reveal that as ethanol blending increases, life cycle GHG emissions decrease, but the magnitude of the reduction depends on the ethanol production pathway, and regional variation can also influence them.