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Gallagher Review: Put the brake on biofuels

Biofuels

Not so long ago biofuels were billed as a silver bullet that could cut greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. But, as recent studies have confirmed, many are worse for the climate than the fuels they replace and they are also contributing to price rises for food. This week the government-commissioned Gallagher review on the indirect impacts of biofuels has been released and confirms that chasing current EU and UK biofuels targets is unsustainable. You may think that the government would have been more prudent before setting mandatory targets for the use of biofuels, but in fact currently there is no sustainability criteria attached to them, leading to the use of highly questionable fuels.

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Gallagher biofuels review - Greenpeace responds

8 Jul 2008

Ruth Kelly today announced the publication of the Gallagher review into the indirect effects of biofuels. Although the Government accepted the findings of the report, it refused to call publicly for an end to the EU's overall target which would see 10% of European energy produced by biofuels by 2020. This was one of the key recommendations of the Gallagher review.

Reacting to the release of the review Greenpeace chief scientist Dr. Doug Parr said:

"This review sends a stark message - using food crops to fuel our cars risks making climate change worse and increasing food prices for the world's poorest people.

"Gordon Brown must now follow one of the key recommendations of his own report and call for an end to the EU's hastily adopted and potentially damaging biofuel targets.

"He needs to promote the real alternatives instead, like making our cars more fuel efficient and boosting the number of vehicles powered by clean, renewable electricity.

"This is the kind of leadership we need from a Prime Minister who claims to be serious about fighting climate change and serious about tackling global poverty."

For a full briefing on the indirect impacts of biofuels please visit www.greenpeace.org.uk/gallagherbriefing

For further information please contact the Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255

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Media Brief – Gallagher Review to be published early July

Publication Date: 
7 Jul 2008
Body: 

The Gallagher Review is a major study commissioned by the UK Government on the 'indirect' or 'displacement' impacts of biofuels on carbon emissions from land use change and on food security. It is being conducted by the Renewable Fuels Agency - a new body set up to administer UK biofuel policy. This briefing describes what biofuels are, explains the difference between direct and indirect impacts of biofuels and the implications for biofuels policies in the UK and EU.