Paving the way for agrofuels

The EU is proposing a 10 per cent mandatory target for agrofuel use in transport by 2020. Yet there is strong and growing evidence that, far from reducing emissions, the rush to agrofuels will significantly accelerate climate change and contribute to a range of other social and environmental problems. While criticism of agrofuels grows, EU policy makers are developing ‘sustainability’ criteria and standards for agrofuels and biomass. But such criteria or certification schemes are unable to address the indirect impacts of agrofuel production, such as the displacement of previous land uses. According to the report, EU criteria for ‘sustainable’ agrofuels are set on a collision course with the EU’s proposed target. A critical analysis of the EU's agrofuels policy