The UK Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) has written to Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Energy, and Stavros Dimas, EU Commissioner for Environment, to call on the EU to require biofuels meet high standards of carbon savings and sustainability as part of the legal measures supporting their use.

The EU is planning to require Member States to achieve a 10% market share for biofuels by 2010 in the proposed Fuel Quality Directive and forthcoming Renewable Energy Directive. The standards biofuels will have to meet will be set out in the Renewable Energy Directive.

The EIC’s letter calls for the Renewable Energy Directive to include the following features:

·    Reward biofuels on the basis of greenhouse gas savings compared to fossil fuels, taking a whole life-cycle approach and requiring minimum greenhouse gas savings of 50%.

·    Take account in these calculations of greenhouse gas emissions caused by land-use change resulting from biofuels – including clearance of forests and other high value habitats.

·    Put in place mandatory environmental and social standards covering issues including biodiversity impacts, workers rights, land rights and farming practices.

·    Put in place monitoring of the social impacts of biofuels on vulnerable communities and regularly review policy in the light of the results.

·    Ensure the standards set are practical so that biofuels suppliers can implement them effectively.

Graham Hilton, Chair of EIC Renewable Transport Fuels Working Group said: “EIC Members have led the way to call for Government support to be restricted to those biofuels making a real contribution to reducing carbon emissions and to sustainability. We, therefore, call on the EU to follow the lead of the UK Government in putting demanding carbon and sustainability standards at the heart of its policy on biofuels.

 “The market leading standards being developed for biofuels must also be set for the food and fossil fuel sectors in the near term. EIC, and its Members, will continue to seek world best practice in environmental and social standards”