UK Committee calls for moratorium on biofuels

(Note - Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from organic matter rather than from fossil fuels which are a finite and non-renewable resource. Most biofuels, known as first generation biofuels, are currently produced from conventional food and fodder crops.)

Key points:

• Some biofuels are sustainable but the UK Parliament committee concluded on 01/21/2008 that the UK and Europe should not have pursued targets to increase the use of biofuels
• In its report, Are biofuels sustainable?, the Committee says that without these measures some biofuels could lead to environmental damage and the destruction of environmentally crucial rainforests
• The report also concludes that biofuels are generally an expensive and ineffective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other policies. Emissions from road transport can be cut cost-effectively, and with lower environmental risk, by implementing a range of other policies

The report calls for a moratorium on biofuel targets. It argues that instead the Government should concentrate on the use of sustainable biofuels such as waste vegetable oil and the development of more efficient biofuel technologies that could have a role to play in the future once they have been shown to be sustainable.

The Committee also concluded that

• biofuels are unlikely to improve fuel security as they largely rely on fossil fuels for their production
• current agricultural support for biofuels is largely unsustainable
• there could be significant opportunities for cost-effectively cutting greenhouse gas emissions by planting forests and restoring habitats
• a large biofuel industry based on current technology is likely to increase food prices and could damage food security in developing countries
• On the basis of current biofuel technology, more greenhouse gas cuts could be achieved at lower cost and risk by implementing a range of other policies

Read the full press release here

Biofuels - "expensive and ineffective way to cut emissions"
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