Bioenergy utilization and greenhouse gas emission reduction: A global impact assessment

Developing bioenergy is a key strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. By constructing a panel data set covering 111 countries from 2000 to 2021, we investigate the curvilinear impacts of global bioenergy with different modes of utilization and types of products on the emission reductions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Then, both heterogeneity and mechanism analyses are conducted to explore how bioenergy utilization influences the environmental sustainability. The empirical results indicate that developing bioenergy contributes to remarkably joint reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with an inverted U-shaped relationship being verified in various bioenergy utilization except for the consumption of primary solid biofuels. Additionally, pronounced differences exist in the environmental impacts largely due to the level of economic development. Both the mediating and moderating effects of energy intensity are further examined. The curvilinear indirect impacts of various bioenergy utilization except for the consumption of liquid biofuels can be exerted on different GHG emissions through energy intensity. Moreover, lowering energy intensity can not only decline the upper limit of GHG emissions, but also intensify the beneficial contributions to GHG emission reductions. Therefore, formulating locally adapted policies is crucial to advancing the development of modern bioenergy and realizing the global net-zero emissions goals.