The Growth of Biofuels in the 21st Century ― Policy Drivers and Market Challenges

In recent years, governments globally have been promoting the production and use of biofuels as a transport fuel. This has been motivated by a range of political, economic and environmental concerns, notably climate change, energy security and rural development. As a result, biofuels production and use have expanded considerably in just a few years, a development which has brought biofuels a great deal of negative attention. Whether it is the linking of biofuels with increases in greenhouse gas emissions, rising food prices, deforestation, or as a threat to vested oil interests, biofuels are being attacked from many directions. In this timely and insightful book, Ackrill and Kay draw on interviews with key policy insiders in Brazil, the EU and the US, to analyse why biofuels policies have been implemented so enthusiastically by policy makers; and the consequences they now face, given the scale of their ambition for biofuels and biofuels policies.

Robert Ackrill is Professor of European Economics and Policy in the Division of Economics, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK. He is widely published in the areas of EU and trade policies and has also received awards and recognition for his teaching.

Adrian Kay is Professor of Government in the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, Australia. Prior to a career in academia, he spent several years on the UK Government's European Fast Stream as well as working for the European Commission in Brussels.