Agrofuel targets threaten habitats1 November 2007
On Tuesday 23 October a small UK Parliamentary committee made a decision that will have huge implications for the world's most important habitats.
Unfortunately they made the wrong decision.
That day the committee decided to approve the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), setting mandatory targets for biofuel use in the UK.
What the decision means in practice
5% of all transport fuels will have to come from fuels made from crops by 2010.
What might have seemed like a good idea some years ago is actually very bad for both people and the environment.
The amounts of agrofuels needed to meet the 5% target cannot be sourced sustainably.
Even more worrying, a new EU Biofuels Directive aims to double this target to 10% by 2020.
This would mean 40% of all arable land in Europe would have to be converted to agrofuel production.
Warnings
In reality the majority of agrofuels will come from large monoculture plantations in the global South. These have 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 world's most vulnerable people.
The RTFO lacks safeguards to address these problems and does nothing to stop the most destructive agrofuels.
The last 6 months have seen warning after warning from respected bodies like the United Nations being ignored by decision-makers in the UK and the EU.
Real solutions to transport emissions lie in reducing fuel demand, not in replacing one destructive fuel with another.
Friends of the Earth is calling for a moratorium on agrofuel targets. Read our position here (PDF† 170K).
Further reading
Agrofuels: Fuelling or Fooling Europe?
(PDF† 174K) October 2007
Friends of the Earth Europe's position on agrofuels/ biofuels.
'Green fuels' could be bad for the environment
April 2007
Press release on biofuels jointly issued by Greenpeace, RSPB, WWF and Friends of the Earth.
The use of palm oil for biofuel and as biomass for energy
(PDF† 67K) August 2006
Friends of the Earth's position on the use of palm oil for biofuel and as biomass for energy.
