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The Policy Context of Biofuels: A Case of Non-Governance at the Global Level?

Author

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  • Mairon G. Bastos Lima

    (Mairon G. Bastos Lima is a PhD candidate at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam.)

  • Joyeeta Gupta

    (Joyeeta Gupta is professor of climate change law and policy at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam and at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft.)

Abstract

The large-scale production of crop-based biofuels has been one of the fastest and most controversial global changes of recent years. Global biofuel outputs increased six-fold between 2000 and 2010, and a growing number of countries are adopting biofuel promotion policies. Meanwhile, multilateral bodies have been created, and a patchwork of biofuel policies is emerging. This article investigates the global biofuel policy context and analyzes its nature, its institutional architecture, and issues of access and allocation. Our assessment reveals a density of national policies but a paucity of international consensus on norms and rules. We argue that the global biofuel context remains a non-regime and that it has overlooked serious issues of access even as a risky North-South allocation pattern is created. Although biofuel governance is not completely absent, existing international institutions do not take account of the different voices in the debate and leave a large vacuum of unaddressed social and environmental issues. © 2013 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Mairon G. Bastos Lima & Joyeeta Gupta, 2013. "The Policy Context of Biofuels: A Case of Non-Governance at the Global Level?," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 13(2), pages 46-64, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:glenvp:v:13:y:2013:i:2:p:46-64
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Schut, Marc & Cunha Soares, Núria & van de Ven, Gerrie & Slingerland, Maja, 2014. "Multi-actor governance of sustainable biofuels in developing countries: The case of Mozambique," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 631-643.
    2. Michelle Scobie, 0. "International aid, trade and investment and access and allocation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    3. Margot Hurlbert, 2020. "Access and allocation: rights to water, sanitation and hygiene," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 339-358, June.
    4. Russo Lopes, Gabriela & Bastos Lima, Mairon G. & Reis, Tiago N.P. dos, 2021. "Maldevelopment revisited: Inclusiveness and social impacts of soy expansion over Brazil’s Cerrado in Matopiba," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    5. Benedetta Cotta, 2020. "What goes around, comes around? Access and allocation problems in Global North–South waste trade," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 255-269, June.
    6. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 0. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-16.
    7. Benedetta Cotta, 0. "What goes around, comes around? Access and allocation problems in Global North–South waste trade," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-15.
    8. Margot Hurlbert, 0. "Access and allocation: rights to water, sanitation and hygiene," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    9. Christina-Ioanna Papadopoulou & Efstratios Loizou & Katerina Melfou & Fotios Chatzitheodoridis, 2021. "The Knowledge Based Agricultural Bioeconomy: A Bibliometric Network Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-15, October.
    10. Agni Kalfagianni & Simon Meisch, 2020. "Epistemological and ethical understandings of access and allocation in Earth System Governance: a 10-year review of the literature," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 203-221, June.
    11. Michelle Scobie, 2020. "International aid, trade and investment and access and allocation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 239-254, June.
    12. Kevin Grecksch & Carola Klöck, 2020. "Access and allocation in climate change adaptation," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 271-286, June.
    13. Paola Sakai & Stavros Afionis & Nicola Favretto & Lindsay C. Stringer & Caroline Ward & Marco Sakai & Pedro Henrique Weirich Neto & Carlos Hugo Rocha & Jaime Alberti Gomes & Nátali Maidl de Souza & No, 2020. "Understanding the Implications of Alternative Bioenergy Crops to Support Smallholder Farmers in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-22, March.
    14. Sarah L. Stattman & Aarti Gupta, 2015. "Negotiating Authority in Global Biofuel Governance: Brazil and the EU in the WTO," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(1), pages 41-59, February.
    15. Kate J. Neville, 2015. "The Contentious Political Economy of Biofuels," Global Environmental Politics, MIT Press, vol. 15(1), pages 21-40, February.
    16. Felix Ekardt & Benedikt Jacobs & Jessica Stubenrauch & Beatrice Garske, 2020. "Peatland Governance: The Problem of Depicting in Sustainability Governance, Regulatory Law, and Economic Instruments," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-24, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    biofuels; global biofuel policy;

    JEL classification:

    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q17 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agriculture in International Trade

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