EU reduces biofuels target

European Union (EU) lawmakers voted to reduce a key target for using biofuels made from crops in petrol and diesel fuel, in response to fears that they do more harm than good in the fight against climate change. Environmentalists charge that biofuels made from grains and oil seeds contribute to rising food prices and deforestation. The European Parliament’s influential industry committee also approved measures to protect heavy industries, such as steel and chemicals, from the risk that having to buy carbon emissions permits would make them less competitive than overseas rivals. “Parliament puts at risk over 5 billion (US$7.07 billion) invested in EU biofuel production capacity and all the employment linked to it,” said the European Bioethanol Fuel Association, a body representing biofuel producers. The executive European Commission has proposed that 10% (by volume) of all road transport fuel come from renewable sources by 2020, without giving details. The industry committee has proposed that at least 4% should come from electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources, as well as from second-generation biofuels from waste. The remaining 6% is to be sourced from traditional biofuels made from grains and other feedstocks. (September 11, 2008)