Novel energy production systems are needed that not only offer reductions in greenhouse gas emissions but also cause fewer overall environmental impacts. How to identify and implement more sustainable biofuel production alternatives, and how to overcome economic challenges for their implementation, is a matter of debate. In this study, the environmental impacts of alternative approaches to biofuel production (i.e., first, second, and third generation biofuels), with a focus on biodiversity and ecosystem services, were contrasted to develop a set of criteria for guiding the identification of sustainable biofuel production alternatives (i.e., those that maximize socioeconomic and environmental benefits), as well as strategies for decreasing the economic barriers that prevent the implementation of more sustainable biofuel production systems. The identification and implementation of sustainable biofuel production alternatives should be based on rigorous assessments that integrate socioeconomic and environmental objectives at local, regional, and global scales. Further development of environmental indicators, standardized environmental assessments, multi-objective case studies, and globally integrated assessments, along with improved estimations of biofuel production at fine spatial scales, can enhance the identification of more sustainable biofuel production systems. In the short term, several governmental mandates and incentives, along with the development of financial and market-based mechanisms and applied research partnerships, can accelerate the implementation of more sustainable biofuel production alternatives. The set of criteria and strategies developed here can guide decision making towards the identification and adoption of sustainable biofuel production systems.

需要新颖的能源生产系统，该系统不仅可以减少温室气体排放，还可以减少对环境的总体影响。如何确定和实施更可持续的生物燃料生产替代方案，以及如何克服替代方案所面临的经济挑战，这是一个有争议的问题。在这项研究中，以生物多样性和生态系统服务为重点的生物燃料生产替代方法（即第一代，第二代和第三代生物燃料）对环境的影响，形成了一套标准，用以指导可持续生物燃料的识别生产替代方案（即，最大化社会经济和环境效益的替代方案），以及减少阻碍实施更可持续的生物燃料生产系统的经济障碍的战略。可持续生物燃料生产替代品的确定和实施应基于严格的评估，这些评估应将地方，区域和全球范围内的社会经济和环境目标结合在一起。进一步开发环境指标，标准化的环境评估，多目标案例研究和全球综合评估，以及在精细的空间尺度上改进的生物燃料产量估算，可以加强对更具可持续性的生物燃料生产系统的识别。在短期内，一些政府授权和激励措施，以及建立金融和基于市场的机制以及应用研究伙伴关系，可以加速实施更具可持续性的生物燃料生产替代品。