Politica & Istituzioni

Diesel kills the rainforest

Harmful biofuels used in diesel are destroying rainforests says Greenpeace.

di Staff

According to a recent Greenpeace report, European drivers are unknowingly helping to destroy rainforests because of the growing use of harmful biofuels in diesel.

A snapshot study of diesel sold at filling stations in nine European countries reveals that it is regularly blended with the most damaging biofuels, those produced from rapeseed, soy and palm oil. Official EU analysis shows that the production of these three biofuels leads to deforestation and other indirect land use change that makes them more climate-damaging than fossil fuels.

Filling stations in France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Austria had the highest amount of biodiesel overall, ranging from five to seven percent. French fuel had the most soy, Italian the most palm oil and Swedish the most rapeseed.

EU policies will drive up the use of biofuels from agricultural products by a predicted 170 percent by 2020, according to an analysis of government energy plans. Biodiesel will make up 71 percent of that figure, with Germany, France, the UK, Spain and Italy consuming the most.

Last December, the European Commission said it would review its options for dealing with the indirect land use change impacts of biofuels no later than July 2011, based on a precautionary approach and using the best available science.

Greenpeace EU forests policy adviser Sebastien Risso said: “Most holidaymakers won’t know they are running their vehicles on fuel that is meant to be green, but is in fact a dirty shade of brown. EU lawmakers know there is a problem, have committed to look at it and should now legislate against the most climate-damaging biofuels in favour of those that do significantly better. The longer they wait, the more the genie will be out of the bottle and the harder it will be to force it back in.”

Greenpeace is calling for the following EU policy changes:

·         Legislation should be introduced requiring energy suppliers to reflect the climate impact of indirect land-use change for different biofuel crops.

·         Biofuels that offer little or no reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels should not count towards renewable energy targets or qualify for incentives.

 www.greenpeace.org


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