A coalition of some of Britain's biggest environmental and development groups has warned the Government that its biofuel policy risks doing more harm than good in the fight against climate change and global poverty. The organisations are demanding that ministers delay the introduction of legislation which would see biofuels pumped into every tank in the country from April 15th 2008. 

In a letter to Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, the groups - Oxfam, CAFOD, RSPB, IIED, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, One World and Operation Noah - criticise the upcoming Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and assert that "there is a very real risk that the RTFO will make climate change worse, not better."

Reacting to Gordon Brown's speech to the CBI this morning, Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said:

"The prime minister last week outlined plans to generate twenty per cent of our energy from renewable sources, now just one week later we are back to the old mantra of nuclear power. Declarations like this threaten to strangle the renewables industry before it can even get close to that 2020 target."

He continued: "Last week Brown's government launched a consultation on Heathrow, then this week he says we have to have airport expansion. You're left wondering if this government is capable of listening to the public. He certainly doesn't seem to be listening to climate scientists"

He added: "It's a welcome change from the past that the CBI now accepts businesses will have to be green to grow in the low carbon economy of the future. But underneath the surface, the big carbon lobby is still working hard to undermine the campaign to slash emissions. While some companies like BT have embraced the future with large investments in renewable energy, others like Ford have failed to meet voluntary fuel efficiency standards while British Airways is lobbying intensively for climate-wrecking airport expansion. "

ENDS

Greenpeace press office - 0207 865 8255

Petrol and diesel industry may be contributing to rainforest destruction

Responding to the introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) last night, Greenpeace forest campaigner Belinda Fletcher said:

"This obligation puts no proper safeguards in place, meaning that these targets are worse than useless at tackling climate change. Biofuels made from crops like palm oil are directly leading to rainforest destruction in places like Indonesia and significantly increasing global emissions of greenhouse gases. The government should focus instead on tough fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks right here in the UK."

The obligation will mean that by April 2008 all fuel suppliers will be required to ensure that 2.5 per cent of their sales in the UK come from biofuels - rising up to 5 per cent by 2010.

By the government's own admission, the order will come into force before any kind of "working standard" is in place to ensure that the production of these fuels is not harming the environment. This means that between now and 2011, there will be no way of preventing manufacturers from flooding the UK market with biofuels that are causing rainforest destruction and driving up the price of food for some of the world's poorest people.

Fletcher continued: "It's remarkable that only one party - the Conservatives - realised that this piece of legislation has serious drawbacks and voted against it."

A Department for Transport briefing released this month admitted that "there is currently no internationally agreed definition of a 'sustainable biofuel', nor a working standard that could be imposed." (1)

Concerns over biofuels have also been raised by the UN and the OECD as well as numerous academics, environmental and developmental NGOs. These concerns are also extending into the commercial sector - National Express recently suspended its trials of biodiesel. On Thursday 18th October, The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Jean Ziegler, criticised biofuels for pushing up world food prices, saying: "It's a total disaster for those who are starving." (2)

(1) www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/289579
(2) www.swissinfo.org/eng/swissinfo.html...

Commenting on David Cameron's conference speech in Blackpool today, John Sauven, Executive director of Greenpeace UK, said:

"David Cameron failed to give us any real substance on how he would deliver his environmental vision. There was no mention of airports or forests, and nothing on energy. The Tories won't be seen as the party of 'sensible green leadership' until we see his rhetoric reflected in radical manifesto pledges during the next election. However, Peter Ainsworth's earlier proposition - to penalise power companies that waste huge amounts of heat in the electricity generation process - is very welcome."

For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 0207 865 8255.