European Commission weakens biofuel rule changes by excluding ILUC factors

The European Commission has watered down proposals to reduce the indirect climate impact of biofuels (ILUC). This means fuel suppliers will not, as originally planned, be held accountable for the ILUC biofuels cause by displacing food production into new areas, resulting in forest clearance and peatland draining.  “The 5% limit is still in, but the ILUC factors are now purely for reporting purposes and not part of the sustainability accounting rules for biofuels.” The plan to limit the use of crop-based biofuels to 5% of total EU transport energy demand by 2020 represents a virtual halving of the EU’s existing goal for a 10% share of renewables by 2020. Fuel suppliers will be free to continue blending biodiesel made from rapeseed, palm oil and soybeans into their fuels and claiming credit for cutting emissions, despite EU scientific studies showing that overall emissions from biodiesel are higher than fossil fuel.



This relates to road traffic, but could have implications for biofuel used for aviation

EU Commission weakens biofuel rule changes 

Oct 16, 2012  (Reuters)

* Penalties for biofuels’ indirect emissions removed

* New limit on use of crop-based biofuels remains

* Commission to formally present draft rules Wednesday

BRUSSELS, Oct 16 (Reuters) – The European Commission has watered down proposals to reduce the indirect climate impact of biofuels, but is sticking to a strict new limit on the amount of food crops that can be used to make fuel, EU sources said on Tuesday.

The late changes mean that fuel suppliers will not, as originally planned, be held accountable for the indirect emissions biofuels cause by displacing food production into new areas, resulting in forest clearance and peatland draining – known in EU jargon as ILUC factors.

“The 5 percent limit is still in, but the ILUC factors are now purely for reporting purposes and not part of the sustainability accounting rules for biofuels,” one EU source involved in the discussions said.

The plan to limit the use of crop-based biofuels to 5 percent of total EU transport energy demand by 2020 represents a virtual halving of the EU’s existing goal for a 10 percent share of renewables in transport by the end of the decade.

A Commission source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the proposed indirect land use change (ILUC) emission factors for biofuels made from cereals, sugars and oilseeds would carry no legislative weight.

As a result, fuel suppliers will be free to continue blending biodiesel made from rapeseed, palm oil and soybeans into their fuels and claiming credit for cutting emissions, despite EU scientific studies showing that overall emissions from biodiesel are higher than fossil fuel.

The change is a victory for European biodiesel producers, who had said the Commission’s original proposal would wipe out their industry practically overnight.

But the move could harm ethanol producers, who had been expected to increase dramatically their share of the EU biofuel market from a current 20 percent, at the expense of dominant biodiesel.

The Commission will formally present its proposals on Wednesday, after which the rules must be jointly agreed by EU governments and lawmakers in a process that could take up to two years. (Reporting by Charlie Dunmore; editing by Rex Merrifield)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/16/eu-biofuels-idUSL5E8LGKSB20121016

 

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See also

Study: Biofuels mandate could increase EU CO2 emissions

Euractiv   17.9.2012

European biofuel mandates are unlikely to deliver a significant reduction and could even increase greenhouse gas emissions unless land use factors are considered, says a study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).

Details at

http://www.euractiv.com/energy/biofuels-increase-net-co2-emissi-news-514812