1. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Fudging climate justice: EU and UK legislation for Agro-biofuels and the emerging campaign to stop biofuel targets Biofuelwatch www.biofuelwatch.org.uk introduced by Dr Andrew Boswell, biofuelwatch and UK Green Party councillor on Norfolk County Council

2. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Summary Climate Change / Agrofuels background EU and UK legislation Certification and sustainability criteria Legislation/policy needed - Demand reduction is key Join the Campaign!

3. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation US / EU Biofuel Policy – going off the graph EU – 10% by 2020 (1% now) 2010 2020 US – 20% by 2020 (4% now)

4. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Mega-scale Agrofuel drivers Government and corporate subsidy and promotion Fits “Business as usual” policies and paradigms –Year-on-year economic growth –Avoid unpopular “demand reduction” politics Short term “energy security” fix New global mega-industry and infrastructure –agribusiness, biotech, and chemical sectors –car manufacturers avoid more efficient vehicles –refining, tankage and shipping sectors –commodity markets (eg Palm Oil, sugar, corn)

5. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Agrofuel issues Greenhouse gas (GHG) balances Land Use Change (LUC), N2O, CO2 Environmental impacts: Deforestation, loss of habitats / biodiversity, water depletion, soil erosion, chemicals Social impacts: Poverty, land grabbing, land conflicts, human rights, labour, food security and sovereignty

6. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Agriculture/Land Use already 30-40% of global GHGs Deforestation, agriculture and peat From Stern Report Emission Trickery Exporting emissions from Northern transport to Southern agriculture and land use

7. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Agrofuel LUC will create further massive emissions A one-off GHG hit that takes many years to repay ‘Converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas, or grasslands to produce food-based biofuels in Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the United States creates a ‘biofuel carbon debt’ by releasing 17 to 840 times more CO2 than the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions these biofuels provide by displacing fossil fuels.’ Fargione et al, Science, February 2008 Peatland rainforest -> Palm Oil: 840 years to repay But Palm Oil plantations only 25 years lifetime

8. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation N20 needs further study microbes convert N fertiliser to N2O Underestimated (IPCC) - Crutzen oilseed rape biodiesel, for example, is up to 70% worse for the climate than fossil fuel diesel (also corn ethanol) UK and EU Biofuels GHG calculations in scientific doubt Nitrogen pollution – Baltic, Gulf of Mexico

9. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Food vs Fuel UN FAO, September 2007 “Developing countries face serious social unrest as they struggle to cope with soaring food prices” UN FAO, February 2008 “We will have a significant gap … in food aid…, and we will need an extra half billion dollars just to meet existing assessed needs."

10. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Food vs Fuel Low-Income Food- Deficit countries (LIFDCs) :: Social unrest / food riots 16 million starve per 1% commodity price rise

11. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Urgent Issues EU/UK Wheat Ethanol Surge EU Focus has been on biodiesel

12. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Hundreds of NGOs in Latin America, Asia and Africa have spoken out against large-scale agrofuels.

13. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Impacts on People Land violations / violence –Indonesia human rights disaster (FoE) 7.3 million hectares Palm plantations 513 ongoing conflicts –Colombia Land grabbing –Governments allow companies to get around land laws –Some 2 billion hectares of Southern land up for recolonisation –Driven by Jatropha rush (India, Africa)

14. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Impacts on People Human rights –Pesticide use (especially with GM Soya varieties etc) –Deforestation causing health problems –Paramilitaries in Indonesia and Colombia –Violent evictions and murders Displaced peoples –UN warns up 60 million biofuel refugees –Displaced to less than subsistence rural existence, or to the urban poor in mega cities

15. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Moratorium calls George Monbiot, April 2007, Guardian Southern and Northern NGOs (over 150), July 2007 –No EU Imports, Large scale mono cultures Jean Ziegler, UN, October 2007 –Food crisis : ‘crime against humanity’ African NGOs (30), November 2007 –No global targets, no more African dev. UK MPs – Environmental Audit Committee –Suspend EU/UK targets

16. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

17. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation  UK Legislation RTFO (1) Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) Replacing fuel duty incentives – 20p/litre 2005 consultation (of who?), feasibility study etc. –Driven by EU 5.75% by 2010 and 10% by 2020 targets –UK level 5% by 2010 Requires suppliers to sell a proportion of biofuel –Gain certificates; or –Purchase certificates from another company; or –Pay a buy-out price

18. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation  UK Legislation RTFO (2) October 2007 – Commons delegated committee 2.5% (2008/9), 3.75% (2009/10), 5% (2010/11) No sustainability criteria until 2011 Westminster disquiet –For : 10 (LAB –whipped?) –Against/Abstain : 5 (CON) and 2 (LibDem) –Annual review October 2008

19. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Carbon savings revised 9 October 2007 –3.6 mT CO2 -> 2.6 to 3 mT (2010/11) Jan 2008 : Final figures different to consultation Feb 2008 : Science Paper – ‘Land use change causes massive carbon debt’ Ruth Kelly orders review PANIC!  UK Legislation RTFO (3)

20. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Renewables Directive –20% renewables by 2020 –10% by volume biofuels by 2020 (Biofuels Directive (BFD)) Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) –could force up to 26-28% BFs  EU Legislation (1)

21. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Sustainability Criteria GHG calculator –Where do they go? –In BF Directive? –In FQ Directive? –In both? –Variants in each?  EU Legislation (2)

22. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Direct and indirect environmental impacts: Deforestation, loss of habitats / biodiversity, water depletion, soil erosion, chemicals Direct and indirect social impacts: Poverty, land conflicts, human rights, labour, food security and sovereignty Start times –UK RTFO writes off peat land converted before 2005 –EU : No GHG target until 2013 for plantations before 2008 Sustainability criteria (1)

23. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Sustainability criteria (2) Driven by interests of industry and government Displacement / leakage not handled –Existing agriculture displaced by agrofuels moves into new areas Macro impacts through commodity price shifts not handled –Amazon deforestation ←→ soy price US Corn for ethanol displaces US soy => soy price –EU oilseed rape use causes palm oil prices causes palm oil expansion

24. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation GHG Calculators Largely look at processing side not agriculture side Weighted to favour industry –Default values often weighted in favour of poor GHG biofuels Direct and In-direct land use change (LUC) not understood or covered Ditto N2O

25. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation UK Government figures NOW in complete scientific doubt From LowCVP presentation to UK Bioenergy conference Sept 2007 Corn Ethanol -50% Oil Seed rape biodiesel -70% LUC

26. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Legislation/Policy for demand reduction Strict/robust vehicle efficiency Public transport investment –Modal shift Sustainable planning –Reduce journeys Big investment into True renewables –Electric vehicles Needs political will/courage

27. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Descending the transport emissions curve - Demand reduction is key 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 1990 2000 2010 2020 Reduce vehicle emissions by 50% - smaller, more efficient vehicles Reduce journeys – planning, modal shift, decouple transport from economy Reduce liquid fuel – plug-in hybrids Change Supply - Concentrating Solar Power ? Current EU energy policy 90% carbon emission reduction needed URGENTLY!

28. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

29. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation Biofuels Campaigning Issue cuts across many areas, tipping points and critical thresholds Climate tipping point –Deforestation, climate feedbacks Food security tipping point Land rights critical threshold –Whose land is it anyway? –Food > Feed > Fuel –What about land for carbon sinking? Ecological vs industrial agriculture critical thresholds? –monocultures, corporate supply chains, pricing, GMOs

30. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation  UK Parliamentary Lobbying RTFO - Westminster disquiet / Ripe Campaign to MPs – lobbying, letters, email  RTFO targets suspended or scrapped  UK Block of EU Fuel Quality Directive  UK input into post-2010 EU policy Ideas / Help? A UK biofuel U-turn would send strong message to EU

31. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation  EU Parliamentary Lobby Renewables (inc. Biofuels) Directive Fuel Quality Directive –Sustainability Criteria / GHG calculations  Complex power structures Commission, Council, State Ministers, MEPs, Civil Servants  Campaign to MEPs, Commissioners – lobbying, letters – penetrate deeper into political structure  EU targets revised, frozen or scrapped

32. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation  Consumers / Supporters / Voters  RTFO vs. demand reduction awareness, climate change bill  Build a mainstream ‘I don’t buy biofuel and I am cutting my fossil fuel use’ consciousness Ecological and Social Justice Deep cuts in GHGs Cleaner Vehicles and Transport Fair trade / Corporate Respon -sibility

33. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation JOIN THE BLESSED UNREST

34. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation BLESSED UNREST April Biofool’s Day Protests against Gordon Brown on Biofuels Tuesday April 15 th – Downing Street, 6.00pm And around UK

35. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation CONTACTS Sign up to the biofuelwatch yahoo group - send a blank email to biofuelwatch- subscribe@yahoogroups.com www.biofuelwatch.org.uk info@biofuelwatch.org.uk Please sign up the list circulating

36. March 2008 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation