Biokraftstoffe ; Eine weltwirtschaftliche Perspektive

Biofuels are promoted by politics in more and more countries worldwide. This is being justified by positive effects on the climate, energy, and agricultural policy. The paper describes the current and future markets for biofuels and the existing biofuel programs in single countries. It analyzes the great differences between single countries in the production costs of biofuels compared to fossil fuels and in the greenhouse gas abatement costs, i.e. the efficiency of using biofuels as a climate policy option. From an economic and ecological point of view these country differences ask for the use of global markets for biofuels. However, this is being prevented by a strong protection of domestic markets, arguing that international trade in biofuels would conflict with national agricultural and energy policy goals.