Controlling emissions from bioenergy through land-use change is key to using bioenergy to mitigate climate change. However, the impact of different land-use and energy policies on specific bioenergy emissions has not been investigated to date. Using the global integrated assessment model REMIND-MAgPIE, we derive a biofuel emission factor (EF) for different policy frameworks. We find that a uniform price on emissions from both sectors keeps biofuel emissions at 12 kg CO ₂ GJ ^-1 .However, without land use regulation, EF will increase substantially (64 kg CO ₂ GJ ^-1 in 80 years, 92 kg CO ₂ GJ ^-1over 30 years). We also find that comprehensive coverage (>90 %) of carbon-rich land areas worldwide is key to reducing emissions from land use. Pricing emissions indirectly at the level of bioenergy consumption reduces total emissions by reducing demand for bioenergy, but fails to reduce average EF. In the absence of comprehensive and timely land use regulation, bioenergy may contribute less to climate change mitigation than previously thought. ( Leon Merfort, Nico Bauer, Elmar Kriegler)