EU set to scrap biofuels target amid fears of food crisis

The European commission is backing away from its insistence on imposing a compulsory 10% quota of biofuels in all petrol and diesel by 2020, a central plank of its programme to lead the world in combating climate change.

Amid a worsening global food crisis exacerbated, say experts and critics, by the race to divert food or feed crops into biomass for the manufacture of vehicle fuel, and inundated by a flood of expert advice criticising the shift to renewable fuel, the commission appears to be getting cold feet about its biofuels target.

Under the proposals, to be turned into law within a year, biofuels are to supply a tenth of all road vehicle fuel by 2020 as part of the drive to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the same deadline.

The 10% target is "binding" under the proposed legislation. But pressed by its scientific advisers, UN authorities, leaders in Europe, non-government organisations and environmental lobbies, the commission is engaged in a rethink.

"The target is now secondary," said a commission official, adding that high standards of "sustainability" being drafted for biofuels sourcing and manufacture would make it impossible for the target to be met.

Britain has set its own biofuels targets, which saw 2.5% mixed into all petrol and diesel fuel sold on forecourts in the UK this week. The government wants to increase that to 5% within two years, but has admitted that the environmental concerns could force them to rethink. Ruth Kelly, transport secretary, has ordered a review, which is due to report next month.

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Biofuels ‘not pushing up weekly food bill’

Biofuel produced in East Anglia will soon be finding its way into the petrol tanks of motorists around the country.

On April 15, the UK unveiled its Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. All fuel companies in the UK will have to replace a certain percentage of their annual fossil fuel sales with biofuels, by law. As from that date, 2.5 per cent of fuel produced in the UK will have to come from renewable sources such as crops.

I welcome these initiatives, which will help the biofuel industry fulfil its potential. The eastern region has led the way in biofuel production and is home to the UK’s first bioethanol plant, which opened last year in Wissington, Norfolk, producing 70 million litres of biofuel a year.

It is vital that the rest of the UK follows suit and embraces biofuels, rather than stalling due to the unfounded, negative reports about biofuels which have appeared in the media recently.

Our energy security will become crucial in the coming years, and it is essential that we rely less on energy sources from abroad. Crucially, the UK biofuel industry must succeed as Britain is obligated to increase the share of biofuels used in transport to 10 per cent by 2020 to meet EU targets.

First generation biofuels produced at Wissington from corn and sugar beet are the first step to producing a successful biofuel industry which will help us all achieve a smaller carbon footprint. It is vital that the UK does not fall behind, which is why I am concerned that Alistair Darling has removed the fuel duty rebate for biofuels from 2010.

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UK’s first hydrogen station to open

Britain’s first hydrogen fuel station will open in Birmingham tomorrow, in the first stage of a motoring-technology revolution that will potentially pave the way for the commercial production of fuel cell-powered vehicles.

The station will open at Birmingham University, which is conducting trials with a fleet of five fuel-cell vehicles, with a further three hydrogen stations planned for London and there likely to be at least twelve stations countrywide by 2010.

For more than a decade, the car industry has seen hydrogen and fuel cells as the holy grail that will help fuel the future and while manufacturers have displayed dozens of fuel-cell concept cars in the past, these have been reluctant to put ideas into mass production without an infrastructure to support them.

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Major housebuilders told to share commercial secrets

Major housebuilders have been told to reveal their commercial secrets to help smaller developers meet energy efficiency targets.

The Energy Savings Trust (EST) has asked developers it works with to "open their books" and show others the mistakes made and lessons learned on the road to zero carbon.

The trust expects large developers to shoulder the financial costs associated with experimenting with new technology and pass the information on to others.

EST housing development manager Mat Colmer said: "It is imperative because smaller housebuilders have limited resources and experience, which means you have to go for the easy targets."

Home Builders Federation technical director Dave Mitchell said collaboration in the construction industry was at an all-time high and developers had formed groups to liaise with suppliers on how to reach targets.

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