13.04.21 | Corporate

United in bringing America to the forefront in climate change

Novozymes joins call to the Biden Administration for significant action in the U.S. to mitigate climate change.

April 13, 2021 – Novozymes, the world leader in biological solutions, has endorsed a significant call for the U.S. to make an ambitious contribution to tackling climate change by 2030, through cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to at least 50% below 2005 levels, and is committed to meeting these targets through bioinnovation. The call is part of a campaign by Ceres, a nonprofit organization transforming the economy, and the We Mean Business coalition – a global, nonprofit coalition that collaborates with progressive businesses, like Novozymes, to bolster action on climate change towards a zero-carbon economy.

"As the world’s largest industrial biotechnology company, with bioinnovation operations from Copenhagen in Denmark, to Milwaukee in the U.S., Novozymes is proud to support this effort,” says Brian Brazeau, Novozymes’ President for North America. “We can harness the renewable potential of millions of acres of cropland, sequester GHG emissions, boost yields, and increase the production of renewable energy made from farm crops, such as corn or soybeans. With smart policy and smart science, the Biden Administration can raise the bar for nations around the world, but to do that, it is vital that biofuels are core in the U.S. strategy.”

Biofuels are cleaner than fossil fuels, and as their carbon footprint continues to shrink over time, they can also be net negative when made from waste or combined with carbon-trapping innovations. They are expected to contribute more to reducing global emissions in the decades ahead than any other technology – including battery power. It is estimated that 30% of transportation fuel could already be replaced, if nations are committed to achieving this1.

Advanced biology turns ideas into action

Novozymes believes that the key is unlocking that energy and empowering farmers and biofuel producers to deploy the latest technologies.

“At Novozymes, we specialize in tapping into the power of nature to deliver advanced biology that does everything from boosting crop yields without added fertilizer to improving laundry detergents to cut energy and water waste. Our innovation helps biofuel producers get more energy out of every harvest. These technologies have already helped the U.S. replace about 10% of liquid fuels with renewable alternatives,” says Brian Brazeau and continues:

“The vital importance of these bio-based solutions to address the climate crisis is already recognized, but ideas must be turned into action. Incentives that would allow the entire agricultural supply chain to invest in the future, and a fuel market that is open higher-biofuels blends, such as E15, that allow drivers to save money, while reducing consumption of fossil fuel, are essential. These opportunities would not only drive green economic growth in the U.S., but could also offer a roadmap for other countries.”

¹According to the International Energy Agency (IEA)

Advanced biology turns ideas into action

Novozymes believes that the key is unlocking that energy and empowering farmers and biofuel producers to deploy the latest technologies.

“At Novozymes, we specialize in tapping into the power of nature to deliver advanced biology that does everything from boosting crop yields without added fertilizer to improving laundry detergents to cut energy and water waste. Our innovation helps biofuel producers get more energy out of every harvest. These technologies have already helped the U.S. replace about 10% of liquid fuels with renewable alternatives,” says Brian Brazeau and continues:

“The vital importance of these bio-based solutions to address the climate crisis is already recognized, but ideas must be turned into action. Incentives that would allow the entire agricultural supply chain to invest in the future, and a fuel market that is open higher-biofuels blends, such as E15, that allow drivers to save money, while reducing consumption of fossil fuel, are essential. These opportunities would not only drive green economic growth in the U.S., but could also offer a roadmap for other countries.”

Facts

The 2018 IPCC Report found that the risks associated with a warming world are substantially lower at 1.5 degrees than at 2 degrees. The IPCC also found that to stay within striking distance of limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees, the world must halve global emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Thanks to innovations in biology, there is a window of opportunity right now to make transformational progress by decarbonizing the transportation sector using clean, affordable biofuels.
Novozymes’ technologies help biofuel producers get more energy out of every harvest. This can be used to harness the renewable potential on millions of acres of cropland, sequester GHG emissions, boost yields, and increase the production of low-carbon biofuels made from farm crops, such as corn or soybeans.
According to a recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), bio-based fuels are expected to contribute more to reducing global emissions in the decades ahead than any other technology.
Other research from the Rhodium Group shows that low-carbon biofuels will play a key role in achieving net zero in the U.S. by 2050.
Scientists from Harvard, Tufts, MIT, and Environmental Health & Engineering Inc. recently found that corn ethanol reduces life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 46% compared to gasoline.
Biofuels are 46-120% less carbon intensive than petroleum, including land use, and have delivered almost 80 percent of all carbon reductions under the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to date.