Paving the way for agrofuels: EU policy, sustainability criteria and climate calculations

Semino, Stella
Smith, Kevin
Holland, Nina
Gilbertson, Tamra

2007

1871-3408

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In the face of the climate change threat and the increasing scarcity of fossil fuels, agrofuels are being heavily promoted as a means to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 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, as well as contributing to a range of other social and environmental problems. Paving the way for Agrofuels – EU policy, sustainability criteria, and climate calculations summarises EU policy making on agrofuels to date. It provides a full survey of current international efforts to develop ‘sustainability’ standards, drawing attention to problems with existing certification schemes, in particular their failure to consult affected groups in the global South. A survey of the scientific literature on greenhouse gas emissions shows that many of the existing studies fail to consider crucial variables, such as the ‘displacement’ effect of agrofuels in terms of land use changes and soil carbon losses. Finally, the paper looks at the possibility that agrofuel production could in future be funded through the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, which would provide a huge financial boost to the expansion of agrofuel plantations. [Contracarátula]

Discussion Paper

Biocombustibles; Certificados de sostenibilidad; Sostenibilidad; Unión Europea;