A study made for the Swiss Centre for Technology Assessment (TA-SWISS) looked into the sustainability potential of second generation biofuels and its future role in a Swiss energy scenario. Recent research on technologies for the production/use of second generation biofuels (i.e., biofuels from non-food-based feedstocks) seems to indicate positive impacts with respect to fossil-fuel energy independence and the reduction of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. However, "impacts on biodiversity, global land and water use are widely unclear and their competitiveness with 1st generation biofuels and electric mobility is an open question". Among the highlights of the study are: (1) considering vehicle efficiency and electromobility factors, between 10 and 40 per cent of current fuel requirements could be sustainably supplied by second generation biofuels, (2) "most environmentally friendly biofuels are primarily those which are manufactured using waste products and left-over materials such as green waste, saw-mill waste and waste wood", (3) in order to realize the full potential of biofuels, it's use has to be coupled with a strong increase in car efficiency, while mobility in general should not be allowed to grow further. Further details of the study can be obtained from the TA-SWISS website (URL above).