The LowCVP welcomes inclusion of sustainability assurance in the RTFO
Fri 11 November 2005
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(Media release) The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership welcomes the announcement of the introduction of a Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO).
The LowCVP is heartened that the Government plans to include a carbon and sustainability assurance scheme as part of the Obligation. Research carried out by the LowCVP shows that the contribution that biofuels can make to greenhouse gas reductions and to broader environmental sustainability is highly variable and dependent on the methods used to cultivate and process the fuel.
For example, one study for the LowCVP which analysed the greenhouse gas benefits deriving from the production of bioethanol from wheat, showed that the well-to-wheel emissions reductions from the use of the fuel could vary from 7% to 77%. Greenhouse gas savings of about 35% to 45% are typical.
An effective and properly incentivised carbon and sustainability assurance scheme will help to ensure that greenhouse gas and broader sustainability objectives are achieved.
For more information see the LowCVP wheat-to-bioethanol press release and report and the Partnership position paper on the RTFO - links below.
Notes to Editors
1. In November 2004 the LowCVP published a study having reached agreement on the methodology for assessing the full life cycle energy and greenhouse gas balance for UK biofuels. The bioethanol study was developed by a group of experts, led by British Sugar and ExxonMobil, and including Imperial College, Sheffield Hallam University, CONCAWE and the EU Joint Research Council, as part of the Partnership's Fuels Working Group. To see the full report - http://www.lowcvp.org.uk/uploaded/documents/Biofuels_WTW_final_report.pdf
2. The Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership was set up in January 2003 with funding from the DfT and the DTI and a mandate to accelerate the shift to low carbon vehicles and fuels. The establishment of a stakeholder partnership was one of the central actions arising out of the Government's 'Powering Future Vehicles' strategy that identified greenhouse gas emissions reduction as a priority of future transport policy. The Partnership already comprises over 160 members representing government, the motor and fuels industries, vehicle users, environmental groups, consumer representatives and others. The Partnership is coordinated by a secretariat based in central London.
3. The main objective of the LowCVP is to contribute to the achievement of UK targets for carbon reduction from the road transport sector by:
- Providing a framework of communications to encourage stakeholders to engage
proactively in the move to low carbon fuels and vehicles.
- Facilitating a forum in which stakeholders can work together to overcome market barriers.
- Enabling partners to initiate new policy ideas or discuss the feasibility of those already on the agenda
- To provide Government with independent feedback on the opportunities and obstacles in the move to new vehicles and fuels and on the progress and effectiveness of current Government programmes.
Through the partnership approach, UK vehicles, fuels and related industries should be better placed to seize market opportunities in a future in which environmental concerns are set to be a major priority.
Related Links
LowCVP wheat-to-biethanol press release
LowCVP position paper on the RTFO
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