External governance and the EU policy for sustainable biofuels, the case of Mozambique

• Published in: Energy policy Vol. 38; no. 11; pp. 7395 - 7403
• Main Author: Di Lucia, Lorenzo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2010; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Series: Energy Policy
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biodiesel fuels; Biodiversity; Biofuels; Biomass energy; Climate; Demand; Developing countries; Economic data; Energisystem; Energy; Energy economics; Energy industry; Energy policy; Energy Systems; Engineering and Technology; Environmental Engineering; EU directives; Europe; European Union; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; General, economic and professional studies; Governance; Governance Biofuels Sustainability; International cooperation; LDCs; Legislation; Marketing; Markets; Mozambique; Natural energy; Naturresursteknik; Networks; Policies; Power demand; Regulation; Studies; Sustainability; Sustainable development; Teknik; Mozambique; Africa; Europe; Governance; Biofuels; Sustainability; Import; Decision making; Developing countries; Biofuel; Energy policy; Sustainable development; Energy plantation; Case study; Economic market; European Union; European directive; Environment impact; Production; Export; Economic impact
• ISSN: 0301-4215; 1873-6777; 1873-6777
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2010.08.015

Growing demand for transport biofuels in the EU is driving an expansion of the industry in developing countries. Large-scale production of energy crops for biofuel, if mismanaged, could cause detrimental environmental and social impacts. The aim of this study is to examine whether the newly adopted EU Directive 2009/28/EC and its sustainability certification system can effectively ensure sustainable production of biofuels outside the EU. Mozambique, a least developed country with biofuels ambitions, is selected as empirical case. The effectiveness of the EU policy in analysed employing ideal models of external governance (hierarchical, market and network governance) as analytical framework. The findings show that the EU attempts to impose its rules and values on sustainable biofuels using its leverage through trade. The market approach adopted by the EU is expected to produce only unstable (subject to abrupt changes of market prices and demand) and thin (limited to climate and biodiversity issues) policy results. Stronger emphasis on a network oriented approach based on substantial involvement of foreign actors, and on international policy legitimacy is suggested as a way forward. ►The EU attempts to impose its rules and values on sustainable biofuels using its leverage through trade. ►The market approach adopted by the EU is expected to produce only unstable (subject to abrupt changes of market prices and demand) and thin (limited to climate and biodiversity issues) policy results.►In order to promote simultaneously stable and substantial impacts, the EU governance approach based on market access should be integrated with a network mode of governance based on policy legitimacy.