Biofuels obligation
Tuesday, 15 Apr 2008 10:29
Biofuels are made from from biological material such as crops
The renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) comes into force today.
From now on fuel suppliers must ensure 2.5 per cent of diesel and petrol provided at the pumps is biofuels.
This will rise to five per cent by 2010, but the backing of biofuels – which come from biological materials such as plants – has proved controversial in some quarters.
Environmental groups doubt whether biofuels actually help the fight against climate change, as the government claims.
Charities like Oxfam are also concerned biofuel plantations are resulting in land-grabs and human rights abuses in developing countries around the world.
And groups like the RSPB are warning habitat loss will also prove an unwelcome side-effect of the push for biolfuels.
Despite this, the government hopes the RTFO will reduce carbon emissions from road transport in 2010 by up to 0.8 million tonnes.
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly has nevertheless commissioned a review into the "indirect impacts" of biofuels, which will look at UK policy beyond 2010.
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