Biofuels: Making the climate crisis worse, not better

Take action

The Government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change is consulting on the level of support to be given from April 2013 to all types of electricity classed as renewable. They propose to continue to support biomass on an unlimited scale – even more than at present as far as co-firing of biomass with coal is concerned.  They also propose  to support the burning of up to 400,000 tonnes of bioliquids per year (on top of the large-scale use of biofuels for transport). If all this bioliquid were palm oil – a realistic prospect given that this is by far the cheapest vegetable oil – then 110,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations would be needed.

There are two separate actions to take:

• Contact your MP to ask him or her to raise the issues with Chris Huhne and to vote against the proposals when they come to the House of Commons in early 2012.
• Respond to the consultation as an individual (deadline 12 January)

Take action and find out more (Biofuelwatch website).

Protest against biofuels fuelling climate meltdown
Saturday 22nd October, DECC – Department of Energy & Climate Change

Protesters gathered outside the Department of Energy and Climate Change offices calling for the end of subsidies for bioenergy, in a demonstration organised by Biofuelwatch with the support of Campaign against Climate Change.

As a public consultation on the financing of renewable electricity launched last week, campaigners warn that government proposals to prioritise bioenergy over wind and solar will speed up global warming and cause human suffering across the globe. Campaigners travelled from as far as the Isle of Wight, Scotland, Bristol, Port Talbot in Wales, and Manchester to unite in a common call.

See more here.

Other actions 

168 scientists have written an open letter to the European Commission, warning about the indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with biofuels. Write to the European Commissioner for Energy in support of their letter here.

Object to Barnsley biofuel power station. This would burn about 10,000 tonnes of vegetable oil every year, most probably palm oil.

Object to a biofuel power station in Llangefni, Anglesey. This would burn around 24,000 tonnes of vegetable oil a year. Again, this could be palm oil.

Past events:

National demonstration against Agrofuels
25 September 2010

On 25 September 2010, the Campaign against Climate Change organised a national demonstration against agrofuels near a power station planned to burn palm oil in Portland, Dorset. This is only one of at least 15 biofuel power stations being proposed in the UK, encouraged by government subsidies (see below) have led to Experience in Germany and Italy, where large numbers of power plants are run on biofuels, have shown that those are almost always run on palm oil, the cheapest vegetable oil,and the one whose production is most damaging to the climate.  Running power stations on other types of biofuels, particularly on a large scale, has not been shown to be economically viable so far.

Agrofuels don't ROC(k)
12 October 2009

The Campaign against Climate Change, Biofuelwatch and Food not Fuel joined together to tell the Department for Energy and Climate Change that Agrofuels don't ROC(k). As well as speakers from UK groups, the demonstration was joined by representatives from Coordinadora Latinoamericana as part of a day of actions in solidarity with indigenous people.

Energy companies now have to generate a minimum of 10% of their electricity output from sources classed as sustainable or buy Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) from companies who have. This is a subsidy paid to renewable energy producers from other energy companies. Biofuels are included in this subsidy scheme, despite strong evidence of their negative climate impact.

Protests against the RTFO
15 April 2008

The Campaign against Climate Change joined forces with Biofuelwatch to protest against the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and the devastating impacts caused by a massive increase in biofuels. The protest, staged outside Downing Street at 6.00 pm, was the largest demonstration yet against biofuels and was widely reported on the day.

Earlier demonstration outside the Department for Transport:

The European Union biofuels directive sets targets for all EU countries for biofuel usage of 2% by the end of 2005 and 5.75% by the end of 2010. To fulfil this, in the UK, the RTFO requires transport fuel suppliers to ensure that a certain proportion road vehicle fuel is biofuel. The amount of biofuel that must be supplied increases annually until April 2013 when it will reach 5%.

Biofuels and climate change: the facts