Greenvoice

Why should you join?

Almost 90 per cent of people responding to a poll staged by the European Commission believe the 10 per cent biofuel target should be scrapped. But, despite this overwhelming opposition, today’s EU Energy Council meeting [Friday 6 June, 2008], in Luxembourg, is expected to endorse the target yet again.

The poll on the European Commission’s website was removed yesterday.

Action to promote green energy is essential if the world is to avoid the disaster of dangerous climate change. That is why Friends of the Earth, Oxfam and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) support the EU’s target of supplying 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The target is necessary and achievable - using our abundant resources of wave, wind and solar power.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Conservation Director, said: “ The requirement for 10 per cent of transport fuel to come from biofuels, far from being a necessary, is a dangerous and costly distraction.

“Biofuels risk making climate change worse, not better - at the same time destroying precious wildlife habitat and driving up food prices – these views are echoed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation in its bioenergy and food security report, published yesterday.”

Yet, instead of fighting this policy in Brussels, the UK government seems to be hiding behind the coat tails of European legislation on biofuels. Having ordered a rapid review by the Renewable Fuels Agency – the “Gallagher Review” - into the indirect impacts of biofuels, Ministers are reneging on a public commitment made by Ruth Kelly to use the review’s preliminary findings to shape EU policy now and over the coming weeks.

The final results of the review – which are expected to condemn the 10 per cent target - will not be published until the end of this month – too late to influence today’s Energy summit and key votes by Members of the European Parliament.

The Commission's poll was opened last Friday and asks: ‘Should the EU stick to its target to reach 10 per cent biofuels by 2020?’ Europe’s energy ministers meet today to debate this target and the sustainability standards for biofuel manufacture and sales. The RSPB, Friends of the Earth and Oxfam remain extremely concerned that these draft standards remain very weak and virtually unenforceable.

Dr Mark Avery Director of Conservation at the RSPB, said: “Renewable energy is central to the fight against dangerous climate change. But there is mounting evidence to show that pursuing the 10 per cent biofuel target will lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions and continued food price increases. The UK government is not sharing the information from a key report highlighting concerns over sustainability.

'Early findings from the Gallagher Review have shown that an area of land approaching the size of Indonesia would be needed to meet global biofuel demand by 2020, assuming 10 per cent of transport fuels were replaced by biofuels.”

Friends of the Earth, Oxfam and the RSPB are all calling for a radical overhaul of current EU proposals on biofuels, including scrapping of the 10 per cent target. Although some of the sustainability criteria have been improved, they are still not capable of protecting valuable carbon stores or protecting wildlife-rich habitats from being converted as a result of biofuel production. Additionally, the standards do not protect the livelihoods of people in the developing world or protect them from spiraling food prices.

Dr Mark Avery added: “It is chilling that whilst EU officials and MEPs push on with plans for more biofuels, in Rome this week world leaders have been meeting to discuss ways to address the growing global food crisis. We have to tackle climate change with solutions that work, and that support sustainable development - instead we seem fixated on this risky and ill-conceived rush for more biofuels.'

An Oxfam report this week said biofuels were hastening climate change and were responsible for 30 per cent of recent food price rises.

Oxfam’s Biofuels Policy Adviser, Robert Bailey said: “To continue support for biofuels in the light of the growing impartial and credible weight of opinion that they are a significant driver of food price inflation is morally outrageous and utterly indefensible.”

Roger Higman, Head of Campaign Coordination for Friends of the Earth, said: “Initial findings from the Gallagher review presented to stakeholders confirmed major negative impacts from a 10% target for biofuels. The review’s finding must now be made public and the government must draw the logical conclusion and oppose the target.”

Dr Mark Avery added: “More than 45,000 people have voted against the EU’s 10 per cent target. The Energy Summit, MEPs, and other European decision makers must heed the results of their own poll and shelve damaging biofuel policies before it is too late.”

The RSPB makes a real difference to birds and wildlife, but most of our work costs money. We rely on the support and generosity of people like you to fund our vital work for conservation: we are grateful for any amount you can give us.

Recent Activity

• Page created by Rene Jorgensen
• Page created by Rene Jorgensen
• Page created by Rene Jorgensen
• Page created by Rene Jorgensen
• Image uploaded by Rene Jorgensen
• Image uploaded by Rene Jorgensen
• Image uploaded by Rene Jorgensen
• Image uploaded by Rene Jorgensen

Spread the Word

Report this as: Offensive Spam Off Topic Copyright Abuse Other Problem

There are no Blog posts yet

Act now to stop biofuel madness's Blog

Here is where the creator of the campaign can keep everyone up to date with what is happening around the campaign and any important news, just like a campaign diary or newsletter.

Subscribe

Get the latest posts straight to your door by subscribing to the RSS feed of this blog, or by just joining the campaign you will automatically get an email every time a new blog is posted.

Get involved

You can have a real impact on the blog section:

• Discuss each post in the comments section
• Report a post if you don't think it should be there

Archives

See all of the blog posts in this campaign by browsing the archives.