DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (068) issued by The Government News Network
on 21 June 2007
Transport
Secretary Douglas Alexander underlined the Government's
commitment to sustainable biofuels today, as he launched a
consultation on an environmental reporting system for this type of
fuel and a package of measures to complement the reporting requirement.
The consultation is a key part of work on the Renewable Transport
Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which means that by 2010, 5% of all the
fuel sold on UK forecourts should come from biofuels. This is
expected to save 1 million tones of carbon a year, the equivalent
of taking 1 million cars off the road.
In addition to the consultation, the Secretary of State today
announced that:
* from April 2010 the Government aims to reward biofuels under
the RTFO according to the amount of carbon they save. This will be
subject to compatibility with EU and WTO requirements and future
consultation on the environmental and economic impacts;
* from April 2011 the Government aims to reward biofuels under
the RTFO only if they meet appropriate sustainability standards.
This will be subject to the same provisos as above and subject to
the development of such standards for the relevant feedstocks.
* the Government will ask the RTFO Administrator to report every
three months on the effectiveness of the RTFO's environmental
reporting system, and on the carbon and sustainability effects of
the RTFO;
* the Government intends to set challenging targets for: the
level of greenhouse gas savings we expect to see from biofuels
used to meet the RTFO, the proportion of biofuels from feedstock
grown to recognised sustainability standards and the amount of
information we expect to be included in sustainability reports;
* the Government has asked the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership to
explore the feasibility of a voluntary labelling scheme, allowing
responsible retailers to show that the biofuels they supply are
genuinely sustainable. Any scheme would need to be compatible with
WTO rules.
Douglas Alexander said:
"Biofuels present an opportunity to address the climate
change impact of transport. But we must ensure appropriate
safeguards are in place. The UK is leading international debate on
this issue. We are one of the first countries to develop a
detailed methodology to allow transport fuel suppliers to report
in detail on the carbon and sustainability impacts of their
biofuels. And the comprehensive package of new measures we are
proposing today only strengthens this global leadership role, by
making clear our determination to put in place a mandatory
sustainability framework for biofuels, putting us at the forefront
globally of tackling this important issue."
To receive certificates under the RTFO scheme from April 2008, it
is intended that transport fuel suppliers will have to complete a
report on the carbon savings offered by their biofuels, as well as
on the wider sustainability impacts associated with them. The
RTFO Administrator will publish information on the environmental
impacts of the RTFO. The consultation sets out the detail of the
proposed requirements for these reports.
The consultation closes on 13 September. The RTFO Administrator
will publish the final version of the reporting requirements as
soon as possible after the RTFO Order has been made.
Our approach will be piloted with a number of transport fuel
suppliers alongside the public consultation.
Notes to Editors
1. The Government announced the introduction of the RTFO in
November 2005, saying that "obligated companies would be
required to report on the level of carbon savings achieved and on
the sustainability of their supplies."
2. Areas to be covered in the consultation are:
* The scope and format of monthly and annual reports
* The verification requirements
* The default values to be used to calculate the carbon savings
offered by different biofuels when precise data is not available
3. The targets proposed are:
* 50% of biofuel feedstocks should meet a qualifying
sustainability standard* in 2009/10, rising to 80% in 2010/11
* The fuel supplied should have an annual greenhouse gas saving
of 40% over fossil fuels in 2008/09, 50% in 2009/10 and 60% in 2010/11
* Transport fuel suppliers should be able to complete, with known
data, 35% of the relevant data fields within the monthly reports
in 2008/09, 65% in 2009/10, and 80% in 2010/11
4. The Obligation is expected to start in April 2008. It will be
set at 2.5% in 2008/9, then 3.75% in 2009/10, and 5% in 2010/11.
5. Biofuels are fuels made from renewable sources, typically
crops such as oilseed rape or wheat. The crops used to grow the
fuel are known as feedstocks. They save carbon because the crops
absorb carbon dioxide as they grow. There is currently no
internationally agreed methodology to measure carbon savings and
sustainability and the UK is a leader in this field. We are
working with the European Union and other international bodies to
develop standards to ensure the sustainable supply of biofuels
across the EU.
6. The consultation documents, including further information on
the proposed targets, can be found on the DfT website at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/rtforeporting
* A large number of existing agri-environment and social
accountability schemes have been benchmarked against a set of core
environmental and social principles, to allow the Government to
propose a list of "qualifying standards" for RTFO
purposes. These are standards that deliver an acceptable level of
sustainability assurance. The consultation document suggests that
the following standards should initially count as "qualifying
standards", although the list will be revised as suitable new
standards are developed for different feedstocks:
Linking Environment and Farming Marque
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Sustainable Agriculture Network/Rainforest Alliance
Basel Criteria for Soy
Forest Stewardship Council
Social Accountability 8000
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk