Biodiesel (FAME): Emissions
Waste oil versus palm: a huge gap in CO2 savings
What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 1.60 t CO2e per t range about 0.56 (UCO, 15 g/MJ) to 2.8 (palm, open effluent pond, 75 g/MJ) excluding ILUC; adding the EU ILUC estimate for oil crops (55 g/MJ, about 2.05 t/t) puts palm and soy FAME at 3.8-4.8 t/t, above fossil diesel's 3.5 · indicative world average of about 43 g CO2e/MJ for a palm-, soy- and rapeseed-heavy mix with about 20-25% waste oils; fossil comparator 94 g/MJ, i.e. 3.5 t per t of FAME energy-equivalent Global emissions per year 75.0 Mt CO2e per year 2024-25 · 1.6 t/t x 47 Mt, excluding ILUC (indicative)Per t of FAME, life cycle (per MJ x 37.2 GJ/t); combustion CO2 from the fatty acid chain is biogenic. Intensity: RED II Annex V default values (Directive (EU) 2018/2001); RED II Annex VIII ILUC (indicative); CARB LCFS 2022 average biodiesel 28 g/MJ. Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 72% Production / process 20% Movement 6% Use 2%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.1-1.2 t CO2e/t (crop oils); about 0.1-0.2 for wastes | 72% | fertiliser N2O, palm mill effluent methane, crushing energy; land-use change if counted | methane capture at palm mills cuts palm FAME from 75 to 52 g/MJ (RED defaults) | RED II Annex V default values (Directive (EU) 2018/2001) |
| Production / process | about 0.3 t CO2e/t | 20% | fossil methanol (about 0.1 t per t), steam and power | bio-methanol would cut this | indicative |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e/t | 6% | ocean freight of oil and FAME, road collection of UCO | indicative | |
| Use | about 0.03 t CO2e/t non-CO2 gases; plus about 0.14 t fossil CO2 from the methanol-derived methyl group, which accounting rules usually ignore | 2% | combustion | tailpipe particulates fall, NOx rises slightly | stoichiometry; indicative |
| End of life | not applicable | – | fuel is burned | spills biodegrade readily | not applicable |
Other environmental impacts
Deforestation and peat drainage linked to palm expansion; competition with food oils; water pollution from palm oil mill effluent where untreated. Fraud risk in imported UCO and residues.
Levers to cut emissions
- Shift to waste and residue oils (84-88% savings, RED defaults)
- Methane capture at palm oil mills (cuts palm FAME by about 23 g/MJ)
- Certified deforestation-free and cover-crop oils (ISCC, RSPO)
- Bio-methanol instead of fossil methanol
- Renewable power and steam at plants
India
India's biodiesel is mainly UCO, animal fats, non-edible oils and imported palm stearin (USDA 2026), so its footprint per tonne is low but volumes are tiny. No national life-cycle values are published.
Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.Low-carbon routes
| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCO and tallow FAME | about 15-21 g CO2e/MJ (0.56-0.77 t/t) (RED defaults) | feedstock trades near virgin oil prices because of credit demand (indicative) | 16.5% of EU FAME and HVO feedstock is UCO (EBB 2025) | European Biodiesel Board Statistical Report 2025-2026 (Jun 2026); RED II Annex V default values (Directive (EU) 2018/2001) |
| Palm FAME with mill methane capture on old cropland | about 52 g CO2e/MJ (RED default) | small | spreading in Malaysia and Indonesia (indicative) | RED II Annex V default values (Directive (EU) 2018/2001) |