DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (155) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 15 October 2008
Transport Minister
Andrew Adonis has today set out plans to take a more cautious
approach to biofuels, as part of the Government's response to
concerns about the indirect environmental and social impacts of
producing them.
He published a consultation taking forward key findings from the
Gallagher Review, including the proposal that the rate of increase
of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) be slowed to
reach 5% in 2013-14 rather than in 2010-11.
At the same time he dedicated a further £6 million to research
being conducted by the Carbon Trust to accelerate the development
of advanced sustainable biofuels technologies.
Andrew Adonis said:
"Everyone agrees that to tackle climate change we must
develop new and cleaner fuels. But we are clear that biofuels will
only have a role to play in this if they are sustainably produced.
"That is why the Government commissioned Professor Gallagher
to examine the indirect impacts of biofuels, and we have accepted
his recommendation to amend but not abandon our approach.
"We need to take a more cautious approach to biofuels and
today's consultation sets out our options, as well as
dedicating a further £6 million to helping ensure that second
generation biofuels are truly sustainable."
Tom Delay, Chief Executive Carbon Trust, added:
"This funding will help in the urgent search for low carbon
and sustainable alternatives to oil by accelerating the
development of two advanced technologies; pyrolysis-based
conversion and algae as a sustainable feedstock."
In February, the Government commissioned Professor Ed Gallagher,
Chair of the Renewable Fuels Agency, to lead a review of the
latest evidence on biofuels. He found that "there is a future
for a sustainable biofuels industry" and that by 2020
"biofuels have the potential to deliver annual global
greenhouse gas savings of approximately 338 - 371 million tonnes
of carbon dioxide".
However, he also stated that there is a strong need for further
evidence and monitoring to determine the sustainability and wider
impacts of biofuels. As part of this he made a number of
recommendations for the future of biofuels, which were accepted by
the Government.
Today's consultation takes these forward by proposing that:
* The rate of increase of the RTFO be slowed to 0.5% per annum,
taking the level to 5% in 2013-14 rather than in 2010-11 as is the
case currently;
* Two new eligible fuels - biobutanol and hydrogenated renewable
diesel - are added to the list of renewable fuels eligible under
the RTFO;
* We continue to support the EU target of 10% renewable transport
fuels by 2020, but that this is conditional on evidence showing
that it is being delivered sustainably and without significant
impacts on food prices;
* Government presses for the 10% target to be kept under regular
review in the light of the emerging evidence;
* That the sustainability criteria for biofuels, currently being
negotiated, should address indirect, as well as direct, effects on
land use;
* We work to establish international standards and controls,
which reflect the international nature of the biofuels industry.
The consultation closes on December 17 and all views will be considered.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Gallagher Review was commissioned on 21 February 2008. It
examined the wider social and environmental impacts of biofuels,
in particular it looked at the indirect impacts of different forms
of biofuel production, in order to inform the development of both
the UK and EU's policies.
2. It considered recent evidence on the indirect or
"displacement" impacts of biofuel production, both
within the EU and internationally. It also looked at the extent to
which the demand for biofuels - as opposed to other pressures -
was likely to put pressure on available land resources in the
period to 2020, as well as considering the likely impact of
biofuel policies on international food commodity prices in the
period to 2020.
3. The key findings of the review, published in July, were that:
* Government should "amend but not abandon its biofuel policy";
* biofuels can play a role in tackling climate change and
"there is a future for a sustainable biofuels industry";
* by 2020 "biofuels have the potential to deliver annual
global greenhouse gas savings of approximately 338 - 371 million
tonnes of carbon dioxide";
* however, there is a strong need for further evidence and
monitoring to determine the sustainability and wider impacts of biofuels;
* there is a risk that the uncontrolled expansion and use of
biofuels could drive unsustainable land use change. In turn this
might lead to net increases in greenhouse gas emissions and
potentially contribute to rising food prices;
* current Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation levels are right
but we should be cautious about how fast further increases are
brought in;
* a moratorium on biofuels should be rejected - "a
moratorium will reduce the ability of the biofuels industry to
invest in new technologies or transform the sourcing of its
feedstock to the more sustainable supplies necessary to create a
truly sustainable industry. It will make it significantly more
difficult for the potential of biofuels to be realised";
* At the EU level a 10%, by energy content, renewable transport
fuel target is not presently justified by the scientific evidence,
but could be possible if a number of important conditions are
fulfilled, eg. sufficient controls on land-use change being
enforced globally as part of a new climate agreement, and new
evidence providing further confidence that the target can be met sustainably.
4. When responding to the Review, the Government accepted all its
key findings and committed to consulting in the near future on
taking them forward. That is the purpose of the consultation
document published today.
5. For a copy of Professor Gallagher's report please visit:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa/
6. For a copy of the consultation published today please visit:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/rftoorder/
7. The £6 million announced today will fund Carbon Trust's
"Advanced Bioenergy Directed Research Acelerator". It
will be delivered over two financial years (£3m per annum) and is
intended to accelerate the development of two advanced sustainable
biofuel technologies: algae as a sustainable feedstock and
pyrolysis-based conversion. Pyrolosis is a means of recovering the
energy from various forms of waste, a potential source of low-cost
fuels with low system greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
8. For further information on the Carbon Trust's research
please visit: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/technology/directedresearch/advanced_bioenergy_accelerators.htm
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk