In an event organized by the Association of Latin American Sugar Producers (UNALA), the Pan-American Liquid Biofuels Coalition (CPBIO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), they addressed the key role of biofuels in the energy transition, within the framework of the next G20. With the support of organizations such as the Union of the Sugar Cane and Bioenergy Industry (UNICA), Toyota, the Association of Biofuel Producers of Brazil (APROBIO) and the Union of Corn Ethanol (UNEM), the meeting brought together important actors of the energy sector.
During the meeting, prominent speakers such as Pietro Adamo Sampaio Mendes, Secretary of Petroleum and Biofuels of Brazil; Rafael Chang Miyasaki, CEO of Toyota for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); and Marcela Braga Anselmi, Environment Manager of ANAC, addressed the challenges and opportunities that biofuels represent for the decarbonization of the economy.
Chang Miyasaki, highlighted Toyota's great progress in promoting the use of biofuels, reducing its emissions by 176 million tons of carbon dioxide since 1997 and pointed out that Latin America has comparative advantages for the adoption of these technologies. "Our region is not prepared for massive electrification as elsewhere, so biofuels are a practical and accessible solution," he said.
Marcela Braga underlined Brazil's progress in the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), thanks to her extensive experience in biofuels since the 70s. The recent "Fuel of the Future" law also boosts private investment in this area, crucial to reducing emissions in the aeronautical sector. "Today in Brazil, the great challenge is to attract private investments in this area," said Evandro Gussi, president and CEO of UNICA. According to Gussi, with cane ethanol it is feasible to reduce up to 90 % of emissions.
Currently, Brazil produces 18 million tons of corn for the production of bioethanol and distilled grains of high protein content. Julio Minelli, of APROBIO, highlighted the positive impact of ethanol and biodiesel production on job creation and rural development in the country.
The forum concluded with a consensus on the importance of biofuels not only to reduce emissions, but also as a tool for social and economic development in Latin America. Evandro Gussi, president of UNICA, said that bioenergy is an available and accessible solution that can generate employment and stimulate growth.