The Renewable Energy Association has made a plea to Members of the European Parliament to vote against European proposals for a cap on agricultural biofuels.
MEPs are to this week vote on a European Commission proposal to address ‘indirect land use change’ (ILUC) that REA says would put at risk not just climate change and renewable energy targets, but also hundreds of millions of pounds investment in the UK.
REA chief executive Nina Skorupska said: “Our domestic biofuels industry supports 3,500 jobs across 200 companies and achieves average carbon savings almost double the 35 per cent minimum required by the Government. This is why we urge MEPs to support the European Parliament Industry, Research & Energy Committee’s position in the ILUC vote this week.”
It has also encouraged MEPs to note the findings of the report Biofuels and Food Security published last week by consultancy Ecofys. This report concluded: “Systemic factors, like reduced reserves, food waste, speculation, transportation issues, storage costs and problems, and hoarding play a much larger role in local food prices [than biofuels]. These factors can be solved and should get much more attention.”
REA head of renewable transport Clare Wenner added: “The Ecofys report is the latest study to confirm that anti-biofuel campaigners routinely over-estimate the impact of biofuels on food prices.
“It injects much needed accuracy and objectivity into the debate. In contrast, the data campaigners have based their scaremongering on has been called into question.
“The IISD recently had to admit that it had overestimated the costs of EU biofuels subsidies by around 40 per cent.”
