European group says biofuels worse than fossil fuels for environment
Plans to increase the use of biofuels in Europe over the next ten years will require up to 69,000 square kilometers of new land worldwide and make climate change worse, according to a recently released study from the Institute for European Environmental Policy.
The report finds that an area over twice the size of Belgium will need to be converted into fields and plantations if European countries do not change their plans for getting gasoline and diesel from food crops by 2020.
Europe is set to increase significantly biofuel use by 2020, when biofuels will provide 9.5% of transport fuel – more than 90% of which will come from food crops. The report says that when indirect land use change is taken into account, biofuels will emit an extra 27 to 56 million tpy of greenhouse gas emissions– the equivalent to an extra 12 to 26 million cars on Europe’s roads by 2020.
The report further contends that unless EU policy changes, the extra biofuels that Europe will use over the next decade will be on average 81%-167% worse for the climate than fossil fuels. Under the plans, five countries will be responsible for over two thirds of the increase in emissions.
The UK, Spain, Germany, Italy and France are projected to produce the most extra greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels .
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