Asia's largest biofuels producers are currently Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, (the) People's Republic of China and India. This paper first examines the current status of biofuels in these countries, including the national development targets, strategies, incentives and policies. It then identifies the fundamental driving forces behind the development and promotion of these industries and considers their economic. social and environmental impacts. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.