A new study drawing on the work of 75 scientists from across the world has called for a total rethink on using biofuels for transport. It says current mandates and targets for liquid biofuels 'should be reconsidered', points out that relying on biofuels has potential for increasing the gap between rich and poor, and says the first thing governments should do is to limit demand for traditional fuels.
California has moved a step closer to having lifecycle greenhouse gas standards for transport fuels. The final draft of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard was published last month, and could be approved later this month and therefore become law.
Biofuels in Europe: An analysis of the new EU targets and sustainability requirements with recommendations for future policy
The European Parliament's temporary committee on climate change has ended its work with a warning that global warming 'is both more rapid and more serious' than previously thought.
Belgium has reintroduced its 'cliquet tax' by which fuel tax goes up when the price of fuel goes down (but doesn’t go down when fuel prices go up). The tax was suspended last year when fuel prices rose dramatically, but was reintroduced last month when oil prices came down, and has since been raised again.
A bioenergy company that inaccurately quoted T&E in its advertising has won the 2008 Worst Lobbying Award.
A new global agency to promote the development and use of renewable energies was launched last month by 50 nations. The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) is intended as a counterweight to the International Energy Agency, which is seen by many as focusing too heavily on traditional energy sources, and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
An informal agreement by MEPs, representatives from EU member states and Commission officials on the proposed EU fuel quality directive could prevent a market developing for the most carbon-intensive sources of oil such as tar sands and oil shale.
Agreement has been reached on the EU’s renewable energy directive, with its commitment for biofuels to account for at least 10% of EU transport fuels by 2020.
Editorial by Jos Dings
The EU is about to pass two very important and influential pieces of legislation that run contrary to basic environmental good practice.