Conservatives call for suspension of RTFO following more negative reports on biofuels
Tue 26 February 2008
View all news
The Conservative Party has called for the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation to be suspended following a further spate of reports and publicity questioning the environmental benefits of biofuels. The Conservatives made their call on the day the RSPB placed full page adverts in two national newspapers criticising the Government's biofuels policy.
The Shadow Environment Secretary Peter Ainsworth said:
"It is utter madness to impose quotas for the use of biofuels without ensuring that they can be obtained from sustainable sources. There is a real risk that the British taxpayer will be contributing to the destruction of the rainforest and rising world food prices in the name of the environment. This would be worse than counter-productive."
In the same press release Theresa Villiers, the Shadow Transport Secretary, called for the RTFO to be suspended: "Mrs Kelly has signalled a partial retreat by announcing her biofuels review but we still do not have the clear guarantees we need. Her review is too little, too late. The RTFO will be up and running before the review has even concluded".
Meanwhile, further recent reports published in a leading scientific journal, Science, have cast further doubt on the environmental benefits of biofuels. (See LowCVP story via associated link.)
Related Links
< Back to news list