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This work has as its purpose to evaluate the greenhouse effect gases (GHGs) emissions from ethanol-powered buses, which were introduced in the urban transportation system of the city of São Paulo, in 2007, by means of Project BEST - BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport with the goal of promoting ethanol usage in substitution to diesel in public transportation, aiming at the reduction of atmospheric pollution in great urban centers and at the reduction of global warming. The engine is advanced even for the strict European emission standards, because it meets the EURO 5 specifications and the Enhanced Environmental Vehicle (EEV), besides surpassing the limits imposed by the P-7 stage of PROCONVE. Today, ethanol-powered buses became a reality, because the chassis and the engine, then imported, as well as the additive for the ethanol, are already manufactured in Brazil.

The usage of ethanol in buses is a reality in cities from Sweden, such as Stockholm. The technology of diesel bus adapted to operate with ethanol has been used in that country since 1985, with great success, mainly in the environmental point of view. With the intent of encouraging ethanol usage in urban public transportation aiming, among other goals, at the reduction of atmospheric pollution in the big urban centers, the BEST Project - BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport was created. Besides Sao Paulo (pioneer in the Americas), this project, encouraged by the European Union, counts with eight other cities located in Europe and Asia. In Brazil, the project was developed and coordinated by CENBIO - Brazilian Reference Center on Biomass, from the Electrotechnics and Energy Institute of USP. With the partnership of other institutions, the project is developed since 2007 and currently counts on two diesel buses adapted to operate with ethanol.

This paper will present the BEST project - BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport, developed by CENBIO-Brazilian Reference Center on Biomass. It's an European Union initiative, coordinated by the Stockholm City Hall, that aims to promote the ethanol usage, replacing diesel, in the urban public transport. Apart from São Paulo, leading city in the Americas, another eight cities located in Europe and Asia take part in the project. One of the Brazilian project's goals is to evaluate ethanol usage as diesel fuel replacement in public transport buses by comparatively following the operational output of the experimental fleet (fuel consumption, performance and occurred failures), taking as reference an equivalent diesel bus. The utilized test vehicles will be evaluated and monitored to demonstrate ethanol energetic efficiency and, after the results, the BEST project and the European Union will set a blue print for public policies to incentive ethanol usage in the urban public transport.

The Inventory Analysis for the life cycle of sugarcane ethanol is presented. Methodological problems related to the application of the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to agricultural systems are discussed and solutions are proposed, based on the literature. The system modeled is representative of the State of São Paulo/Brazil and includes an agricultural sub-system and an industrial sub-system. The agricultural sub-system includes all operations required for the production and the delivery of cane to the industrial sub-system. The industrial sub-system includes all processes for the production of sugar, alcohol (anhydrous and hydrous) and surplus power. The agricultural sub-system and its management practices covering the whole life cycle of sugarcane biomass is discussed in detail, since most of the environmental aspects occur in this sub-system.