The thesis, which will be defended by Daniela Russi on 23 March at the UAB, is an in-depth study of the environmental consequences of European Union policy to promote the production and use of biofuels. Russi argues that possible energy savings are not as high as they may seem. In some cases, energy consumption (and therefore greenhouse emissions) may even be higher than with traditional energy sources.

In fact, according to Russi, fossil fuels are used in all the production phases of biofuels: the agriculture of the raw material (fertilisers, pesticides, machinery), the processing phase and the transport. At the same time, the paper warns of the significant social and economic implications on a global scale of biofuel production.

Furthermore, Russi warns of the significant amounts of land that would be required for large-scale biofuels production. To achieve the objectives set by the EU in Council Directive 2003/30/EC (5.75% of energy used in transport, that is, 1.7% of total energy consumption), approximately 1/5 of tillable land in Europe would be required. This is why the European Union is considering promoting biofuel production (especially oilseeds, sugar cane and palm trees) in countries with tropical climates, with the risk of promoting huge monocultures with a strong environmental impact (use of fertilisers and pesticides, reduction of biodiversity, reduction in water availability and quality, soil erosion, etc) and deforestation processes.

In her conclusions, she is critical of public resources being invested in biofuels, especially given that this investment does not cover the recycling of used oil and agricultural waste, which she believes should be promoted in order to reduce the costs and impact of eliminating such waste and save energy. Russi believes the only way forward to reduce the negative impact of fossil fuel consumption is the implementation of energy-reduction policies.