9th July 2008 - Linda backs better biofuels

Linda McAvan has backed moves in the Environment Committee of the European Parliament to increase the safeguards against possible negative effects of biofuels. The fuels, which are produced from plants, have hit the headlines over concerns about rising food prices, and suggestions that they may not help to reduce carbon emissions as much as had previously been thought.

Since April, all petrol and diesel sold in the UK has contained 2.5% biofuels to help reduce dependency on oil.

MEPs have recognised that there are many different types of biofuels, some 'good', some 'bad'. They want the EU to lead the world in putting in place a strict set of sustainability criteria' to ensure only those 'good' biofuels, which deliver real emission reductions without increasing food prices, are used in the EU.

MEPs were concerned that a simple 10% biofuel target for 2020 would encourage 'bad biofuels', instead they are urging a new target of 4% by 2015, when a review will look at the possible impact of increasing this further to between 8 and 10% by 2020. By then so-called "second generation" biofuels (made from waste or non-food plants) are expected to be commercially viable.

The vote on Monday night came as the very first stage of legislation in the European Parliament, and the proposals will now be subject to a lengthy process of scrutiny and debate by MEPs and national governments which will ultimately determine policy across the 27 countries in the EU.

Linda McAvan said;

"We know that supplies of fossil fuels are running out, and we know that we need to use less fossil fuels if we are going to combat climate change. That is why EU governments have urged support for biofuels. But if we are not careful we encourage farmers to grow crops for fuel rather than for food. So we need biofuels, but we need them to be the right kinds of biofuels. It is difficult to get that balance right, but it is very important that we do."