Biofuels - the road to nowhere

Politicians and corporations are promoting the large scale production of biofuels from crops (also known as agrofuels) as a solution to climate change.

But the rush to biofuels has the potential to:

Destroy forests and valuable habitats.
Produce more greenhouse gases than they save.
Threaten the food supply and livelihoods of some of the worlds most vulnerable people.

Friends of the Earth believes that better solutions to climate change are available and that decision makers must pursue these now.

A threat to biodiversity

The expansion of crops like oil palm, soy and sugar cane threatens the world's forests and other important habitats.

This leads to a rapid loss of biodiversity and the destruction of carbon sinks.

Did you know?

98% of the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia will be gone within 15 years under current logging rates.

United Nations Environment Program

Forest cleared for palm oil plantation

Logged forest in Malaysia

Carbon savings?

The theory goes that the C0₂ released when a biofuel is burned in an engine is off-set by the amount of gas absorbed by the crop during growing.

In reality energy is needed to plant, harvest, process and transport the crops, making the C0₂ balance less favorable.

Research has shown that biofuel from oil seed rape can contribute 70% more to climate change than fossil fuel due to nitrogen emissions from fertiliser.

Communities at risk

The expansion of crops for biofuels competes with food production for land and water. This results in rising food prices around the world, especially in developing countries.

Conflicts over land can also lead to social unrest and the displacement of indigenous people.

Lessons learned?

Despite these problems the EU is proposing that 10% of all road transport fuels must be biofuels by the year 2020.

The amount of crops needed to achieve this cannot be sourced sustainably.

Solutions

Friends of the Earth demands that the EU drops its biofuel targets.

Instead Europe must push real solutions to climate change that are already available and that are less risky and more efficient.

More greenhouse gas cuts could be achieved at lower cost and risk by implementing a range of other policies

UK parliamentary report "Are biofuels sustainable?"

These solutions include more fuel efficient cars, better public transport and promoting greener driving.

A UK government study has found that these solutions could save 60% of transport emissions by 2030.

Press for change

Stop biofuel targets

Email your MEP and ask them to vote against biofuel targets, because of the social and environmental damage.