The UK government’s environmental audit committee (EAC) has concluded that the government and the European Union should not have pursued targets to increase the use of biofuels without first setting sustainability standards.

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Committee chariman Tim Yeo said: “Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport – but at present most biofuels have a detrimental impact on the environment overall.”


In its report, ‘Are biofuels sustainable?’, the committee said without sustainability standards some biofuels could lead to environmental damage in the UK and the destruction of environmentally crucial rainforests outside the UK.


It urges the government to ensure that biofuels policy balances greenhouse gas cuts with wider environmental impacts so that biofuels contribute to sustainable emission reductions.


Yeo said: “Advanced second generation biofuels may have an important role in the future, but these technologies are some years away. The government should support their development by creating a stable investment climate out to 2020.”

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From April, transport fuel sold in the UK must contain 2.5% biofuel. This will rise to 5% in two years’ time.


A debate is raging at the European Union, which is supposed to be meeting this week to approve draft legislation on the adoption of biofuel targets for transportation fuels. The meeting may be delayed while issues on sustainability are cleared. One press report suggested that the targets may now include a ban on fuels grown on certain types of land such as rainforest. The EU wants biofuels to account for 10% of transportation fuel by 2020.