Workshop Preview
In this session, we will preview the discussion for the next two days providing an overview of the policies and standards that guide the clean fuels industry, including how to estimate the environmental benefits, assurances for the benefits, and how end use markets claim those benefits for clean fuels. We will explore the interconnections between life cycle assessment, or carbon intensity scoring, and corporate greenhouse gas accounting as well as some of the challenges and changes we see on the horizon.
Carbon Intensity Methodology Comparison
Leading life cycle assessment experts will provide insight on the calculation methodologies used in California and Canada markets as well as for implementing the Inflation Reduction Act clean fuel production tax credit and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). We will have a robust discussion on similarities and differences and how some programs may favor or disadvantage certain fuel pathways.
Reducing Carbon Intensity through Greening Fuel Production Inputs
Technology experts will explore the green methanol, green hydrogen, and carbon capture and sequestration technologies, and emerging markets and the implications these technologies may have for reducing the carbon intensity of biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuels and ethanol.
Capturing the Benefits of Working Lands to Scale Sustainable Biomass Production through Clean Fuel Incentives
Experts working in different contexts and at different geographic scales will come together to discuss how to estimate and incorporate carbon sequestration on working lands to increase the sustainability of biomass-to-fuel pathways locally, domestically and globally.
Driving Consensus in Land Use and Land Cover Analyses
Controversy in the biofuels industry abounds about the potential indirect effects of agricultural feedstock use. This session will discuss the history of indirect land use change analysis relative to land use and land cover classifications as a source of uncertainty and unnecessary controversy and explore potential solutions to drive consensus.
Keynote Address:
Zia Haq is a Senior Analyst with BETO working on biofuels for the aviation and marine sectors. He provides strategic support to the analysis and sustainability activities of the Bioenergy Technologies Office. He has been at DOE for 21 years and has over 29 years of experience in the energy sector. Prior to joining DOE, Zia worked at Southern Company Services, in the area of coal gasification. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and an MS in Chemical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Indirect Effects: Diversity in Economic Modeling Leads to GHG Impact Disparities
Biofuels policies like the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, and the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CORSIA program, incorporate indirect or consequential greenhouse gas emissions modeling into their carbon intensity scoring to differentiate the environmental value of different fuel pathways. In this session, the premier experts on the modeling that goes into these analyses will present on their models’ benefits and potential shortcomings to elicit a conversation on how best to understand the potential indirect effects of biofuel production.
Beth Calabotta Sustainability Education Grant Awardee Presentation
The Beth Calabotta Sustainability Grant was established in 2018 to help deserving full-time students interested in science, research and biodiesel sustainability. This $2,000 grant memorializes Beth for her lifetime achievements and dedication to biodiesel sustainability and research and student development. During this brief session, the to-be-announced grant recipient will share insights from their award-winning work.
Market-Based GHG Accounting: Opportunities and Constraints to Ensure Integrity
Market-based GHG accounting provides an opportunity for the clean fuel industry to further reduce their GHG impacts while maintaining economic efficiency, but some are concerned with the environmental integrity of using such methods. Leading experts in greenhouse gas accounting will come together to discuss current frameworks and emerging trends for the use of market-based GHG accounting throughout the biofuel supply chain as well as between fuel producers and their customers.
Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Disclosure: How Fuel-Switching Benefits the Biofuel Customer’s Green Credentials
With the emergence of regulatory mandates for companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, additional scrutiny has been put on corporate carbon footprints and how they are calculated. This session will discuss current GHG accounting practices, how they may be changing in the near-term, and how switching from petroleum to bio-based fuels will demonstrate corporate stakeholders' interest in reducing their environmental footprint.