The UK’s chief environment scientist, Professor Robert Watson, has said that the UK should wait for the results of its inquiry into the sustainability of biofuels before it goes ahead with plans to mix 2.5% biofuels in petrol.
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The 2.5% requirement is part of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), which comes into force on 1 April.
Speaking on BBC radio, he said that EU and UK policy may have run ahead of the science. A coalition of pressure groups has written to the Department for Transport demanding that the policy be delayed until after the review.
The EU is requiring the inclusion of 5% biofuels in road fuels by 2010, but EU environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, earlier told the BBC that this target should only be reached if the biofuels could be proved to be sustainably produced.
The UK is leading research into the sustainability of biofuels. The US has also set targets for biofuels without linking them to the environmental impact of the fuels.
Professor Watson said that one of the main concerns is the impact on the soil and that carbon losses from ploughing virgin soil may outweigh potential carbon savings.
