Petrol must now include biofuels

Petrol must now include biofuels
Campaigners against the new biofuel rules outside parliament

All petrol and diesel which is sold at UK pumps now has to include at least 2.5% biofuels.

These renewable fuels, made from crops such as sugar cane or maize, have been added to fuel sold around the country.

This target will rise to 5% by 2010. The move is aimed at making transport fuels more environmentally friendly and will not change how cars work.

But some scientists and green groups say biofuels contribute more greenhouse gases than they save.

Negative effects

The idea behind the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) is to reduce the climate change emissions from transport - which produce more than a quarter of overall greenhouse gases in the UK - by using renewable fuels instead of fossil fuels.

But some critics say the biofuels' carbon benefits may be outweighed by negative effects from their productions.

For example Oxfam said millions of indigenous people faced clearance from their land to make way for biofuel plantations such as palm oil.

The aid agency is also concerned that the switch to energy crops from food production - including a large-scale drive in the US to produce bioethanol from maize - is contributing to rising food prices.

Oxfam joined campaigners from Friends of the Earth and the RSPB for a protest outside Parliament on Monday aimed at urging the government not to go ahead with the new rules.

"The UK has done more than any other country to make sure they are produced sustainably"
Jim Fitzpatrick, Transport Minister

Sustainability

But Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said gradually introducing biofuels could help save millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the next few years.

"The UK has done more than any other country to make sure they are produced sustainably."

He said fuel suppliers would be required to report publicly on the sustainability of the biofuels they provide.

"We will not increase biofuels targets beyond 5% unless we are satisfied this can be done without damaging the environmental impacts," he said.

"In many cases some of the biofuels which they're using won't cut carbon dioxide emissions and could indeed lead to more carbon dioxide emissions""
Tony Bosworth, Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth have demanded that the greenhouse gases from transport, which account for around 28% of overall emissions, be tackled by investing in better public transport and mandatory emissions limits on cars.

Tony Bosworth is the Transport Campaigner from Friends of the Earth, he said biofuels will not help the environment.

He said: "The Government is introducing these fuels because they think it's going to help cut climate change emissions from transport, but we believe they're a false solution, and in many cases some of the biofuels which they're using won't cut carbon dioxide emissions and could indeed lead to more carbon dioxide emissions"

A survey for Friends of the Earth shows almost nine out of 10 people did not know that the renewable fuels would be required in their vehicles.