European Parliament votes to impose 6% cap on use of land-based biofuels
Sun 15 September 2013
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The European Parliament has voted to impose a 6% cap on the use of land-based biofuels for use in road transport. The Parliament also backed a target for transport fuel to consist of at least 2.5% 'second generation', or advanced, biofuels and for the indirect land use change (ILUC) impacts of biofuels to be accounted for under the Fuel Quality Directive from 2020.
The MEP vote also endorsed double-counting of biofuels produced from UCO or animal wastes and a minimum 7.5% limit of ethanol in gasoline.
The approved 6% cap is an increase on the initial Commission proposal of 5% (close to current consumption levels), but still lower than the 8% which the biofuels industry was calling for. Europe has a renewable transport energy target of 10% by 2020. The cap includes not only food-based but all land-based biofuels, and is intended to reduce the pressure that European biofuel use exerts in other countries through deforestation, land grabs and increased pressure on food security.
In recognition of the impacts of growing biofuels, the European Parliament voted to include ILUC factors in the assessment of biofuels from 2020. However, they voted against any post-2020 quantity or emissions targets
The 2.5% target for second generation biofuels will see energy from non-food sources, such as agricultural waste, algae and seaweed, being utilised in transport fuels. This will drive innovation in the biofuels sector and lead to the creation of cleaner biofuels from non-food sources according to lead MEP, Corinne Lepage.
In response to the vote Ms Lepage said: “I welcome the Parliament vote in favour of correct accounting of greenhouse gas emissions including indirect land use change and in favour of a reasonable cap on first generation biofuels. This is an important signal that support should be focused on biofuels from 2020. Taking indirect land use change into account is important for the integrity of the EU climate change policy.”
However, Ms Lepage was two votes short of receiving a mandate to begin first reading negotiations with member states who must now seek a common position of their own. This means there will have to be a second reading and discussions are unlikely to restart before parliamentary elections in May.
The size of the cap and the decision not to include ILUC in the assessment of biofuels until 2020 has left both sides of the debate unhappy, with industry bodies describing it as a “desperately weak compromise” that will “curtail jobs and investment” and Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) claiming it will create further uncertainty on the future of biofuels in Europe.
The biofuels industry disputes the science behind ILUC and claims it is still unproven and should not, therefore, form the basis of European policy. Rob Vierhout, Secretary General of industry group ePure claimed the legislation would destabilise the industry and lead to uncertainty.
In a Renewable Energy Association press release, Clare Wenner, REA's Head of Renewable Transport, said: “… future investments are likely to remain on hold following today’s voting in Strasbourg, which introduces a whole new level of procedural complexity into the ILUC policy situation. The 6% overall cap is too tight and the REA continues to oppose the introduction of ILUC factors until there is convincing scientific evidence that biofuels should be singled out in this way. There are some bright spots, though, such as the separate target for advanced biofuels and the continued double counting for biofuels made from used cooking oil…”
T&E said the European Parliament vote leaves biofuels up in the air. Nusa Urbancic, T&E’s Clean Fuels Manager, stated “Today’s vote calls into question the willingness of the European Parliament to fix the failed EU biofuels policy. Until an agreement is reached, it is uncertain for investors and the environment what the future of biofuels will be. What is certain though, is that Europeans will have to keep paying for another seven years for biofuels that pollute more than the fossil fuels they are supposed to replace.”
Before the vote CEOs of Oxfam, ActionAid, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace had been urging the UK Government to support the proposed 5% cap on biofuels to 'fix the EU’s failed biofuels policy' which is ‘fuelling hunger, land grabs and climate change and costing governments and taxpayers billions every year’. In response to the outcome of the vote Robbie Blake, a campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said biofuel production from food sources would continue to rise causing further deforestation, climate change and food shortages.
Nur Hidayati, Head of Campaignes for WALHI/Friends of the Earth Indonesia, said “The people of Indonesia will be disappointed to hear that the European Parliament has failed to agree any meaningful action to reduce Europe’s demand for palm oil, which is driving deforestation and conflict in our country.”
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