• Land use model

    Commission officials are trying to develop a model for predicting the environmental impacts of land use changes.

    A draft interim report published last month says such a model could help minimise impacts that are often ‘irreversible’ and only become visible years after changes are made. The obvious motivation for the initiative is the concern that pursuing biofuels could affect food supplies, but the model would also cover other uses of land, such as access to local services.