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This paper takes stock of the proposals by the European Commission and members of the European Parliament to amend the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and how the proposed revisions integrate with the obligations of the European Union in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

UNICA very much appreciates the efforts over the past several months of Members of the European Parliament to push for the consumption of biofuels that have the highest environmental credentials and technical performance,” said UNICA CEO, Elizabeth Farina.

“UNICA welcomes European Union policy makers’ diligence and efforts in pushing for the consumption of biofuels that have the highest environmental credentials and technical performance,” said UNICA CEO, Elizabeth Farina.

Thank you for your request for a 30-day extension of the comment period for the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. "RFS Pathways II and Technical Amendments to the RFS 2 Standards."

Brazilian sugarcane ethanol (BSCE) ticks all the key boxes when it comes to the important environmental and renewable energy issues that are top priorities of the European Union. For such reasons, BSCE is classified as an advanced biofuel by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and by California Air Resources Board (CARB), even when ILUC effects are taken into account.

This memorandum discusses key amendments proposed for the EU Renewable Energy Directive and presents an analysis under WTO rules applicable to international trade in biofuels.

The debate on land use changes caused by the expansion of food-based biofuels is still ongoing in academic circles, in the private sector, and in the policymaking arena. The European Commission (EC) took the most recent initiative to tackle this issue and published a new Directive proposal in the fall of 2012

The Brazilian sugarcane industry is one of the best, most efficient and competitive examples of tropical agriculture in the world today and an example of the power of farmers to overcome adversity and compete in the global economy.

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (“UNICA”) appreciates the opportunity to provide these comments in response to the Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Renewable Fuel Standard Assessment White Paper: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Other Environmental Impacts (“RFS White Paper”).

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (“UNICA”) appreciates the opportunity to provide these comments on the proposed rule, entitled “Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: 2013 Renewable Fuel Standards” (“2013 RFS2 Rule”), 78 Fed. Reg. 9281, issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) on February 7, 2013.

The year 2012 will go down in history as a turning point for the Brazilian sugarcane industry. Decisions and attitudes that prevail now will be crucial for the results, or consequences, that we will see as we move forward.

A day many thought might never arrive is finally just around the corner. Today, December 23rd, Congress finished their work to head home for the holidays, and we can now say confidently that ethanol’s 30-year-old tax credit and import tariff will finally expire on December 31st.

You can tell without looking at a calendar that this year’s legislative session in Congress is drawing to a close. Just as an increase in harried shoppers announces the Holidays are here, the volume of unfounded accusations has grown louder as we approach the December 31st expiration for the misguided tariff on imported ethanol.

A number of independent studies conducted in recent years have assessed the production of both sugarcane and sugarcane-based ethanol in Brazil from a sustainability standpoint. When evaluating the main elements that make up the production and supply chain, the results of these studies indicate an extremely favorable and consistent scenario.

In the latter half of the Twentieth Century, rapid industrialization and urbanization led to a rift between Brazil’s increasingly urban society and its roots in the countryside. Despite broad recognition that Brazilian agriculture has modernized, adopted advanced technologies and now generates significant trade surpluses, views are still largely influenced by certain negative preconceptions.

With Rio+20 approaching, global debate on sustainable development and green economies will gradually move to center stage. Although developing countries are in the epicenter of pressure for improvements, the debate is bound to spread and also include developed countries.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Brazil-U.S. Business Council urge you to allow the import tariff on foreign ethanol and the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit (VEETC) to expire at the end of this year.

At a time when Americans are looking to squeeze the last penny out of every drop of income and when our Congressional leaders are cutting budget everywhere they can, the International Trade Commission (ITC) gave the United States some very good news. And the timing couldn’t have been any better.

Last week, at the annual EU-Brazil Summit, the EU and Brazil have been discussing how to jointly tackle our global challenges – chief among them trade, climate change and economic growth. For the last four summits, leaders have pledged their unwavering commitment to work together. But were there actual results?

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) welcomes the opportunity to provide specific comments on the September 14 LCFS Land Use Change Workshop meeting’s documents, which the staff of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) published on September 14, 2011.