Tag Archives: EU

Europe’s biofuel dispute splits the industry

May 04, 2011   Karl   No comments
Eu Flag

Europe's biofuel dispute splits the industry

A divisive European debate over the green credentials of biofuels has stalled investment and threatens the future of some producers, but could also create lucrative opportunities, companies said on Tuesday.

After a two-year investigation, the European Commission has decided that the complex issue of “indirect land use change” (ILUC) can lessen carbon savings from biofuels. In July it may announce moves to curb the least sustainable — possibly by raising an EU-wide sustainability benchmark.

“Such a factor would render the European biofuel industry no longer viable,” the European Renewable Ethanol Association and the European farmers’ body Copa-Cogeca said on Tuesday. “ILUC is far too complex an issue for any quick policy fix.”

The battle over ILUC has thrown into doubt EU plans to create a $17 billion annual market for biofuels from producers such as France, Germany, Brazil, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“It has sent a lot of signals to investors that the policy environment is uncertain,” Kare Riis Nielsen, head of EU affairs at Danish enzymes producers Novozymes, told Reuters. “The whole industry is suffering from that.”

But the very greenest of biofuels, such as the next-generation biofuels Novozymes is involved in creating, could also benefit from the EU’s review of biofuels strategy.

“What’s most important now is that we come out of this with crisp, clear signals to the investment community and consumers,” said Nielsen. “ILUC could create a window of opportunity.”

WHAT IS ILUC?

The concept of “indirect land-use change” is relatively new, and still being developed, so it is not surprising that industry is reluctant to accept it.

In essence, it means that if you take a field of grain and switch the crop to biofuel, somebody somewhere will go hungry unless those missing tonnes of grain are grown elsewhere.

The crops to make up the shortfall could come from anywhere, and economics often dictate that will be in tropical zones, encouraging farmers to cut out new land from forests.

Burning forests to clear that land can pump vast quantities of climate-warming emissions into the atmosphere, enough in theory to cancel out any of the climate benefits the biofuels were meant to bring.

The Commission has run 15 studies on different biofuel crops, which on average conclude that over the next decade Europe’s biofuels policies might have an indirect impact equal to 4.5 million hectares of land — an area the size of Denmark.

Some in the biofuels industry argue that the science is flawed and that the issue could be tackled by a major overhaul of agricultural strategy to improve productivity or by pressing abandoned farmland back into action.

Waste products from biofuels production can also be fed to animals, reducing the pressure on land resources.

EU sources say July’s announcement by the European Commission will broadly endorse the green credentials of bioethanol but raise questions about some sources of biodiesel.

It will also create pressure to speed up the adoption of next-generation biofuels from agricultural residues such as straw, which do not create ILUC and are no longer just a dream, says Novozymes. “It’s not yet cost-competitive, but it will be,” said Nielsen. “The volatility of oil prices makes it a tough guess, but probably by 2020 it can compete with gasoline.”

However, the EU biofuels strategy has so far failed to help next-generation fuels take off and needs tweaking, he added.

“There is no longer a technical barrier. It is a political barrier. We need to incentivise the best performing biofuels. We need support for those that take the first-mover disadvantage.”

 

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Biodiesel Production Poised for Outstanding Growth

March 16, 2011   Karl   No comments
Biofuel fuel pump

Biodiesel Production Poised for Outstanding Growth

The global biofuel industry has been witnessing sustainable growth and developments for the past few years in the backdrop of depleting fossil fuels and degradation of environmental conditions. Compared to ethanol, the global biodiesel industry is still at its infancy; however it is rapidly growing. According to our research report “Global Biofuel Market Analysis”, supportive government and upcoming biodiesel plants in Asia will boost the world biodiesel production at a CAGR of around 15.5% during 2010-2013.

Further, our study reveals that the biodiesel production is growing worldwide, with the European Union accounting for the largest share of the biodiesel production worldwide. However, the US is rapidly picking up speed in biodiesel production due to high requirement of environment-friendly transportation fuel. America (the US and Brazil) is the second largest biodiesel producing region in the world after the EU. Our research report provides a statistical view on both biodiesel and ethanol production along with the cost analysis of biofuel.

“Global Biofuel Market Analysis” provides an extensive research and rational analysis of the global biofuel industry and its different segments. It gives a deep insight into the regional trends prevailing across the globe. Analysis and statistics regarding the market size, growth, regional segmentation, and trends in technology developments have been thoroughly studied in the report to provide clients a comprehensive overview of the biofuel industry.

We have also studied growth prospects of the biofuel industry in the developing countries. The several countries covered in the report are – Australia, Thailand, Japan, India, China, Indonesia, the US, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Argentina, and Malaysia. Additionally, the report contains information about the government support, biofuel distribution issues, and cost analysis to help clients formulate appropriate strategies for the expansion of business in untapped markets. The report also provides brief information about the second generation biofuels, which will raise the production capacity per acre land, along with their social and environmental benefits.

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EU bioethanol group weighs U.S. subsidy lawsuit

March 15, 2011   Karl   No comments
Eu Flag

EU bioethanol group weighs U.S. subsidy lawsuit

European bioethanol producers will decide by the end of March whether to file a legal complaint with the European Commission over U.S. subsidies, the EU’s main bioethanol lobby said.

Producers such as Germany’s CropEnergies and Spain’s Abengoa are gathering data on tax credits granted by the U.S. government to U.S. firms that blend ethanol with gasoline. They say the tax break squeezes the margins of competing European producers when the resulting blend is exported to the EU.

“By the end of the month we should know where we stand and whether we have a case that’s strong enough to take to the Commission,” Rob Vierhout, secretary-general of ePURE, an industry group representing firms that make up 80 percent of European bioethanol production, told Reuters.

“European producers are struggling with these imports that put pressure on prices.”

The group’s efforts reflect the global race to secure a slice of Europe’s lucrative renewable energy market, where demand is boosted by official targets designed to fight climate change and wean the bloc off higher-polluting fossil fuels. Europe used about 5 billion litres of bioethanol in 2010, with about 12 percent imported from the United States and Brazil, according to industry estimates.

If a complaint by producers is filed and proves successful, it could lead to higher import tariffs against U.S. bioethanol.

In a similar case in 2008, the bloc raised tariffs against U.S. biodiesel after it found Washington had given illegal payments to blenders and determined that exporters were dumping biodiesel on the EU market.

U.S. producers defend the so-called Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit, which provides a 45-cent-a-gallon tax credit to ethanol blenders, as essential to propping up a fledgling industry. Last year, Congress decided to extend the tax credit until the end of 2011.

“While the complaints of the European ethanol industry are understandable, their angst is misguided at U.S. ethanol tax policy,” said Matt Hartwig, spokesman for the U.S.-based Renewable Fuels Association.

“It remains unclear if any additional volumes of ethanol are flowing into Europe under this particular tariff schedule. EU nations have yet to provide any data and we have not seen any to date that suggests this is happening at above normal levels.”

COMPLICATIONS AT CUSTOMS

Producers are separately lobbying the European Commission to streamline the bloc’s customs codes, a move that could classify bioethanol blends as high-taxed agricultural imports, Vierhout said. Currently EU states can import the fuel labelled as a chemical, qualifying for lower import duties.

That initiative has created a standoff within the executive, Vierhout said, pitting the Commission’s tax and agriculture departments — which are sympathetic to proposing such a change — against its trade negotiators, who are opposed.

Trade officials fear changing customs codes could prompt Brazil and the United States to demand compensation under world trade rules, he said.

Unlike a subsidy complaint — which would, if launched, target only the United States — classifying bioethanol blends as an agricultural could increase the tariffs on imports from all countries by about 40 percent, Vierhout said.

EU trade officials were not immediately available to comment on the issue.

Thanks and Source Reuters

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Call to end EU biofuel perks

March 15, 2011   Karl   No comments
wetlands

Call to end EU biofuel perks

Global environmental organisation Wetlands International has called for an end to incentives for biofuels in the European Union (EU). It said such incentives had resulted in direct and indirect land use change, like in Malaysia where huge areas of peat swamp forests had been cleared for oil palm cultivation.

In its latest published global news, Wetlands International claimed that the expansion of oil palm plantations in Sarawak might lead to the complete loss of the vast and unique peat swamp forests by the end of this decade. “In just five years (2005-2010), almost 10% of Sarawak’s forests and 33% of the peat swamp forests have been cleared. Of this, 65% was for conversion to palm oil production,” it added.

The report said separate studies by Wetlands International and Sarvision showed that a rapidly increasing proportion of Malaysian palm oil was produced on peatland, leading to deforestation and degradation of organic soils. “The new studies concluded that 20% of all Malaysian palm oil is produced on drained peatland. For Sarawak, this is 44%. For recently established plantations, the percentage on forested peat swamp is even higher,” added the report.

Wetlands International wants a complete ban of palm oil production on peatland and calls for a halt of further conversion of natural areas for this crop. Responding to the report, Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners’ Association (Soppoa) refuted Wetlands International’s deforestation claims, saying that the Sarawak government had only allocated 750,000ha out of the 1.69 million ha of peatland for oil farm cultivation.

Some 330,700ha of oil palm estates in Sarawak now are on peatland. It said the state government’s policy was to maintain around 50% of its land area under forest cover. Soppoa said area under oil palm estates had not been deforested but only undergone changes in species, from tree to palm trees, and that oil palm plantation could be classified as forest plantation under the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change. “’Our planters have managed to get an average yield of between 25 and 30 tonnes per ha of fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) from well managed mature oil palm plantation on peatland. “This yield is about 20% more than the average yield of the mineral soil plantation areas in Sarawak,” said Soppoa in a statement.

Thanks and source: The Star Online

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Biofuel operators slam European Commission for legislative vacuum

February 10, 2011   Karl   No comments

EU Commission on Biofuels

Biofuel market operators slammed the European Commission Tuesday for a legislative vacuum on the implementation of sustainability criteria for renewable fuels in Europe after a deadline to adopt a directive came and went in December.

The December 5, 2010 deadline for the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of 2009, which stipulates minimum requirements for biofuels in the bloc, was only met by a handful of countries.
Market operators criticized the European Commission for failing to ensure all member states adopt the legislation at the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) 2011 General Assembly in Brussels.
According to RED, biofuels have to present a minimum of 35% greenhouse gas savings compared to fossil fuels and cannot be sourced from land holding high carbon stocks or biodiversity.
It also sets a target of 10% of renewable fuels for road transport by 2020 and an overall 20% goal for renewable energy by the same year.
Market operators claim they have been left in regulatory limbo since the deadline.
“We cannot trade biofuels as a commodity in Europe [anymore], because there are many different requirements for sustainability,” trader Ulrich von Furstenberg from Ambrian Energy said.
While countries like Germany and Austria have fully implemented the RED, other member states are still in the process of writing legislation.
A disconnect between early implementers and countries which are at the early stages of transposing the RED has lead to a dubious legal environment for international trading, participants said.
“When we have requirements at the EU level but no legal framework at the national level, we have a bit of a problem,” Pierre Tardieu of EU Oil and Proteinmeal Industry Association Fediol said.
The European Commission declined to comment on the status of the RED implementation on member states, arguing that it is doing everything in its power to ensure this happens as quickly as possible.
“We have three situations. Countries that have fully implemented the directive, some that have partially done it, and some that haven’t even notified the Commission,” Ron Van Erck from the Directorate-General for Energy at the European Commission said, without naming any specific countries.
“The deadline was December and most countries missed it. We want to know what is the Commission doing about it and how should we operate in this legal vacuum,” a participant said during the discussion session.
FRUSTRATION
In an attempt to address industry concerns, Ron Van Erck recognized the frustration caused by an uneven implementation of the directive and advised operators to gather evidence of compliance on a voluntary basis.
“Shall the need arise, you’ll be able to prove that your product met all the criteria,” he said.
He also recognized that the Commission fell short of anticipating the many hurdles market participants claim were caused by lack of harmonization on the RED implementation.
“Looking in retrospect, there were better ways we could have regulated it, but we are where we are, and it is what it is,” he added.
Participants said it is not enough from a legal standpoint to collect evidence on a voluntary basis as there is no guarantee governments will accept it later on to prove compliance with the RED.
“I disagree,” Ron Von Erck said. “I don’t see any reasons why member states would refuse to work with the industry to smooth the process.”
Market operators also criticized the EC for delays in confirming that national law in countries that have already implemented the directive, such as German and Austria, are fully in line with the requirements set by the EU.
“Without the EC approval, I don’t even know if the German law is really in line with the directive,” one participant said.
“I don’t see an issue there. The Germans have implemented it and we have no reason to believe their law is not RED compliant,” he said.

Biofuel market operators slammed the European Commission Tuesday for a legislative vacuum on the implementation of sustainability criteria for renewable fuels in Europe after a deadline to adopt a directive came and went in December.
The December 5, 2010 deadline for the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) of 2009, which stipulates minimum requirements for biofuels in the bloc, was only met by a handful of countries.
Market operators criticized the European Commission for failing to ensure all member states adopt the legislation at the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) 2011 General Assembly in Brussels.
According to RED, biofuels have to present a minimum of 35% greenhouse gas savings compared to fossil fuels and cannot be sourced from land holding high carbon stocks or biodiversity.
It also sets a target of 10% of renewable fuels for road transport by 2020 and an overall 20% goal for renewable energy by the same year.
Market operators claim they have been left in regulatory limbo since the deadline.
“We cannot trade biofuels as a commodity in Europe [anymore], because there are many different requirements for sustainability,” trader Ulrich von Furstenberg from Ambrian Energy said.
While countries like Germany and Austria have fully implemented the RED, other member states are still in the process of writing legislation.
A disconnect between early implementers and countries which are at the early stages of transposing the RED has lead to a dubious legal environment for international trading, participants said.
“When we have requirements at the EU level but no legal framework at the national level, we have a bit of a problem,” Pierre Tardieu of EU Oil and Proteinmeal Industry Association Fediol said.
The European Commission declined to comment on the status of the RED implementation on member states, arguing that it is doing everything in its power to ensure this happens as quickly as possible.
“We have three situations. Countries that have fully implemented the directive, some that have partially done it, and some that haven’t even notified the Commission,” Ron Van Erck from the Directorate-General for Energy at the European Commission said, without naming any specific countries.
“The deadline was December and most countries missed it. We want to know what is the Commission doing about it and how should we operate in this legal vacuum,” a participant said during the discussion session.
FRUSTRATION
In an attempt to address industry concerns, Ron Van Erck recognized the frustration caused by an uneven implementation of the directive and advised operators to gather evidence of compliance on a voluntary basis.
“Shall the need arise, you’ll be able to prove that your product met all the criteria,” he said.
He also recognized that the Commission fell short of anticipating the many hurdles market participants claim were caused by lack of harmonization on the RED implementation.
“Looking in retrospect, there were better ways we could have regulated it, but we are where we are, and it is what it is,” he added.
Participants said it is not enough from a legal standpoint to collect evidence on a voluntary basis as there is no guarantee governments will accept it later on to prove compliance with the RED.
“I disagree,” Ron Von Erck said. “I don’t see any reasons why member states would refuse to work with the industry to smooth the process.”
Market operators also criticized the EC for delays in confirming that national law in countries that have already implemented the directive, such as German and Austria, are fully in line with the requirements set by the EU.
“Without the EC approval, I don’t even know if the German law is really in line with the directive,” one participant said.
“I don’t see an issue there. The Germans have implemented it and we have no reason to believe their law is not RED compliant,” he said.

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EU’s transport sector will comprise of 80% biofuels by 2050

February 10, 2011   Karl   No comments
Eu Flag

EU's transport sector will comprise 80% biofuels 2050

80% of the EU’s transport fuel needs could be met with biofuels by the year 2050, according to an independent study published by the Öko-Institut.

Commissioned on behalf of The Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, the study titled The Vision Scenario for the European Union concludes that the use of biofuels in the EU transport sector will increase to 10% in 2020, 25% in 2030 and 80% in 2050.
These findings come only recently after the European Commission announced that biofuels have the potential to replace Europe’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels and make transport sustainable by 2050.
In Europe transport emissions have increased by almost 30% since 1990 and now represent over one fifth of the total GHG emissions in the EU.
‘This fact strongly underlines why it is vital that Europe turns to biofuels now. A strong European biofuels sector will be better placed to invest in the advanced biofuels that will be crucial for decarbonising transport by 2050,’ says Rob Vierhout, secretary general at ePURE.
‘Europe policy makers must recognise the important findings in this report, particularly as this unequivocal demand for substantial biofuel growth is coming from the Greens. It is clear that the European public want more biofuels and, as this study shows, biofuels are the only here-and-now solution to fuelling the European transport sector sustainably,’ he adds.

80% of the EU’s transport fuel needs could be met with biofuels by the year 2050, according to an independent study published by the Öko-Institut.
Commissioned on behalf of The Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, the study titled The Vision Scenario for the European Union concludes that the use of biofuels in the EU transport sector will increase to 10% in 2020, 25% in 2030 and 80% in 2050.
These findings come only recently after the European Commission announced that biofuels have the potential to replace Europe’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels and make transport sustainable by 2050.
In Europe transport emissions have increased by almost 30% since 1990 and now represent over one fifth of the total GHG emissions in the EU.
‘This fact strongly underlines why it is vital that Europe turns to biofuels now. A strong European biofuels sector will be better placed to invest in the advanced biofuels that will be crucial for decarbonising transport by 2050,’ says Rob Vierhout, secretary general at ePURE.
‘Europe policy makers must recognise the important findings in this report, particularly as this unequivocal demand for substantial biofuel growth is coming from the Greens. It is clear that the European public want more biofuels and, as this study shows, biofuels are the only here-and-now solution to fuelling the European transport sector sustainably,’ he adds.

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Biofuels Can Ease the Impact of Hazardous Oil Prices

January 08, 2011   Karl   No comments
Biofuel production begins to have impact on Angolan econom

Biofuels Can Ease the Impact of Hazardous Oil Prices

This week the International Energy Agency (IEA) issued a wakeup call to the world that high oil prices pose a threat to the stability of an already fragile recovering global economy. The IEA went on to recommend that oil-consuming countries boost efforts to cut back on oil usage.

“These sky-rocketing crude oil prices are already having an impact on other commodity prices and food inflation,” said Bliss Baker, spokesperson for the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance. “The IEA’s warnings should be a wakeup call to all countries to reduce our crippling reliance on crude oil. The European Union’s oil imports alone grew by $70 billion last year,” added Mr. Baker.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) also announced this week that the Food Price Index has surpassed 2008 levels driven in large part by the increase in world energy prices.

A report by the United Kingdom’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2008 concluded that crude oil prices were a major factor behind the food price spikes. The report said, “the rapid increase in global energy prices increased the cost of agricultural inputs, especially fertilizers, so increasing the cost-base of agricultural producers, particularly in the cereals and oilseeds sector.”

“The GRFA issued its own warning with regards to rising oil prices and its effect on food in September 2010. This latest IEA warning and FAO report should encourage us all to reduce our reliance on oil,” said Bliss Baker, GRFA Spokesperson. “These food price spikes will continue unless we make concerted efforts to develop alternatives to crude oil like ethanol and biodiesel,” added Baker.

In 2008, biofuels were blamed for commodity price spikes and resulting food riots. These allegations have since been proven wrong in a number of significant reports published by the World Bank, the United Kingdom’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the United States Congressional Budget Office. A September 2010 report by the UN FAO has suggested that, “increased demand for biofuels will help revitalize the worldwide agricultural sector without putting our secure food supply in jeopardy.”

“The GRFA has long advocated that biofuels are the best way to reduce our reliance on conventional oil. Even OPEC said in a recent forecast that ‘energy efficiency policies along with the use of biofuel will put downward pressure on oil consumption worldwide’. As we have seen today from the IEA warnings and the UN FAO report, we are increasingly vulnerable to soaring crude oil prices,” said Baker.

The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biofuel friendly policies internationally. Alliance members represent over 65% of the global biofuels production from 44 countries. Through the development of new technologies and best practices, the Alliance members are committed to producing renewable fuels with the smallest possible footprint.

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Ethanol venture gets EU approval

January 04, 2011   Karl   No comments
Shell logo

Ethanol venture gets EU approval

European regulators approved on Tuesday a joint venture between oil giant Shell and Brazil’s top ethanol producer, Cosan.

The European Commission said it had cleared under merger regulations a joint venture between Shell Brazil Holding B.V., belonging to Britain’s Shell Group, and Cosan S.A. Industria e Comercio of Brazil, for the production, distribution and sale of sugar, ethanol and related products.

“After examining the operation, the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it,” the Commission said in a statement.

In February last year, Shell said it had signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the intention of forming a 12.0-billion-dollar joint venture with biofuel industry leader Cosan.

The joint venture, worth the equivalent of 8.6 billion euros, would be for the production of ethanol, sugar and power, and the supply, distribution and retail of transportation fuels in Brazil, Shell said in a statement at the time.

“Both companies would contribute certain existing Brazilian assets to the joint venture. In addition, Shell would contribute a total of 1.625 billion dollars in cash, payable over two years.”

Brazil is the second-biggest producer of ethanol after the United States. The product is used as a cheaper alternative to petrol used to power cars. – Sapa-AFP

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New biofuel standard coming to German pumps in 2011

December 29, 2010   Karl   No comments
Biofuel pump

New biofuel standard coming to German pumps in 2011

As of January 1, 2011, German drivers will have the option to fuel up their cars with new Super E10, a biofuel with higher ethanol content. The change is part of Germany’s plan to incrementally decrease its carbon emissions, with the goal of an 80 percent reduction by 2050. But for everyday German drivers, the cost of the new biofuel is still a relative unknown, and the subject of much speculation.

Previously, biofuel in Germany only had five percent ethanol content, whereas E10 packs a solid 10 percent ethanol, an increase that should prove more environmentally friendly.

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) estimates that around 90 percent of existing German cars will be E10-compatible. Those vehicles unable to run on E10 can keep using the five percent variety until it is phased out in 2013.

E10 will be available from the more than 14,000 service stations throughout the country as of the first of the year.

According to the BMU, the higher ethanol gasoline will have a decreased impact on the environment in terms of carbon emissions and will reduce consumer reliance on diminishing oil reserves. The initiative is also designed to bring Germany into compliance with a European Commission directive seeking an EU-wide greenhouse gas emission savings of 60 percent from 2018 onwards.

The cost to the consumer is one contentious issue that is being batted around between the various groups interested in the project. As the cost of producing ethanol biofuel is higher than regular gasoline, the BMU expects the price at the pump to increase slightly as well.

“With the introduction of E10 come additional costs for the production of bioethanol and the maintenance of fuel quality,” the ministry said.

But the German Association for the Biofuel Industry contended that prices will not increase significantly.

“Ethanol will not be much more expensive than gasoline,” association president Claus Sauter told press agency dpa. “In addition, the petroleum industry itself is interested in selling E10, because it is legally obliged to bring biofuels to market.”

On the other side of the issue, the spokesman for BP Europe told Bonn’s General Anzeiger newspaper, “For drivers, the price will always be higher,” estimating an increased cost of 50 percent over normal petrol.


Another bone of contention is the actual environmental impact of the new biofuel due to something called indirect land use. This is essentially the consequence of changing the use of land in order to produce crops used in biofuel production. As more arable land is used to produce biofuel, the increased land clearance to grow food crops has the knock-on effect of higher carbon emissions.

Originally, the Commission had anticipated enacting its directive 98/70/EC, requiring member states to report on the greenhouse gas intensity of fuel and energy, starting on January 1, 2011.

According to the directive, suppliers are required to gradually reduce life cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent by the end of 2020 at the latest.

But shortly before the January kick-off date for the initiative, the European Commission published a report on indirect land use change related to biofuels. It found that the ramifications of indirect land use required more investigation before it could proceed with the directive.

“The potential effects of indirect land use need to be properly weighed in our biofuels policy. It is in our interest to investigate this seriously and ensure legislation that avoids negative side effects,” energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger said.

The result of its findings led the Commission to delay its biofuel directive until July of 2011.

In Germany, however, the BMU claims that many of the required elements for biofuel production are locally and sustainably grown.

Source and thanks dw-world.de

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European report admits doubts over ‘green’ biofuels

December 22, 2010   Karl   No comments
Eu Flag

European report admits doubts over ‘green’ biofuels

Europe’s green fudge over biofuels is set to continue for another six months after an official report out today acknowledges growing biofuels can create carbon emissions.

The European Commission’s Report on Indirect Land Use Change admits that the environmental credentials of biofuels – a major plank in the UK government’s renewable energy push – are not clear and recommended a further six months of studies.
Transport biofuel made from crops such as jatropha and sugar cane currently make up around 3 per cent of the petrol and diesel in UK pumps. However the UK Government is planning to increase this to 10 per cent by 2020 to meet an EU target for renewable fuels.
Mark Avery, RSPB director of conservation, said: “When is the UK and Europe going to wake up to the fact that the current biofuels regime is a big green con? Rather than providing an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, they will increase emissions and destroy precious wildlife habitats.
“The UK government and the European Commission must stop relying on large scale and unproven biofuels to meet renewable energy targets for transport, and instead meet them through smarter cars that use less fuel or run on green electricity. Otherwise filling our tanks with biofuel will just add to climate change and wildlife destruction.
“We are already seeing the direct impacts of these policies. Around the world areas that are hugely important for wildlife are being put at risk in the name of sustainability. The Dakatcha Woodlands in Kenya will be completely destroyed if a clearance plan to grow biofuels goes ahead. This would push the threatened Clarke’s weaver bird to extinction, and displace an estimated 20,000 people.”
The Tana River Delta in Kenya is another site threatened by these so-called ‘green fuels’. There are several proposals to grow biofuels there, including one from British company G4 Industries Limited, which threaten a wide range of wetland birds species such as the endangered Basra reed warbler, along with two monkey species, the Tana River red colobus and the Tana River crested mangabey.
The latest EC report looks at the impact of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) as a result of biofuel plantations. But after a year of study, instead of setting promised sustainability criteria, the Commission has instead called for further scientific investigation.  Leaving fundamental issues like ILUC unresolved raises doubts about the wisdom of the EU’s 10 per cent target for renewable transport fuel, and the UK’s intention to meet it entirely through biofuels.
A study out earlier this year concluded that biofuels could cause more emissions than the fossil fuels they replace (see editors note 4).  The study, backed by the RSPB and other environmental groups, found that the UK’s drive for biofuels could destroy an extra 1.6 million hectares of wildlife habitat – bigger than the size of Northern Ireland – by 2020. And it would create carbon emissions equivalent to putting nearly six million extra cars on the roads.

Europe’s green fudge over biofuels is set to continue for another six months after an official report out today acknowledges growing biofuels can create carbon emissions.
The European Commission’s Report on Indirect Land Use Change admits that the environmental credentials of biofuels – a major plank in the UK government’s renewable energy push – are not clear and recommended a further six months of studies.
Transport biofuel made from crops such as jatropha and sugar cane currently make up around 3 per cent of the petrol and diesel in UK pumps. However the UK Government is planning to increase this to 10 per cent by 2020 to meet an EU target for renewable fuels.
Mark Avery, RSPB director of conservation, said: “When is the UK and Europe going to wake up to the fact that the current biofuels regime is a big green con? Rather than providing an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, they will increase emissions and destroy precious wildlife habitats.
“The UK government and the European Commission must stop relying on large scale and unproven biofuels to meet renewable energy targets for transport, and instead meet them through smarter cars that use less fuel or run on green electricity. Otherwise filling our tanks with biofuel will just add to climate change and wildlife destruction.
“We are already seeing the direct impacts of these policies. Around the world areas that are hugely important for wildlife are being put at risk in the name of sustainability. The Dakatcha Woodlands in Kenya will be completely destroyed if a clearance plan to grow biofuels goes ahead. This would push the threatened Clarke’s weaver bird to extinction, and displace an estimated 20,000 people.”
The Tana River Delta in Kenya is another site threatened by these so-called ‘green fuels’. There are several proposals to grow biofuels there, including one from British company G4 Industries Limited, which threaten a wide range of wetland birds species such as the endangered Basra reed warbler, along with two monkey species, the Tana River red colobus and the Tana River crested mangabey.
The latest EC report looks at the impact of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) as a result of biofuel plantations. But after a year of study, instead of setting promised sustainability criteria, the Commission has instead called for further scientific investigation.  Leaving fundamental issues like ILUC unresolved raises doubts about the wisdom of the EU’s 10 per cent target for renewable transport fuel, and the UK’s intention to meet it entirely through biofuels.
A study out earlier this year concluded that biofuels could cause more emissions than the fossil fuels they replace (see editors note 4).  The study, backed by the RSPB and other environmental groups, found that the UK’s drive for biofuels could destroy an extra 1.6 million hectares of wildlife habitat – bigger than the size of Northern Ireland – by 2020. And it would create carbon emissions equivalent to putting nearly six million extra cars on the roads.

Source RSPB Press Release

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