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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. Summary.

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  1. Fudging climate justice:EU and UK legislation for Agro-biofuels and the emerging campaign to stop biofuel targetsBiofuelwatchwww.biofuelwatch.org.ukintroduced by Dr Andrew Boswell, biofuelwatch and UK Green Party councillor on Norfolk County Council Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

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

  4. 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) Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  5. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

  7. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  8. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  9. 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." Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

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

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

  13. 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) Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  14. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  15. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  16. Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  17.  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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  18.  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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  19.  UK Legislation RTFO (3) 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! Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  20.  EU Legislation (1) • 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

  22. Sustainability criteria (1) • 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  23. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  24. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

  26. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

  28. Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  29. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  30.  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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  31.  EUParliamentary 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  32. Fair trade / Corporate Respon -sibility 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 Cleaner Vehicles and Transport Deep cuts in GHGs Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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

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

  35. 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 Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

  36. Fudging climate justice : EU and UK biofuels legislation

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