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Biofuels: bad for the environment?

• Mark Mardell
• 29 Apr 08, 12:01 AM

There's a warning from one of Britain's experts on cars and climate change that legally binding European Union targets aimed at increasing the use of biofuels could actually make the problem of global warming worse.

But she says the law cutting carbon dioxide from cars should bite sooner, rather than give car makers the time they want to adapt.

with producing a report on the action needed to cut carbon dioxide emissions from cars, has been in Brussels giving a seminar

Prof. King isn't, of course, against, biofuels, but is urging a much closer look at the different types. Particularly whether some can end up putting as much CO2 into the environment as fossil fuels (because of clearing land of trees to plant them and so on).

She says: "I am not anti biofuels but they're not a silver bullet: there are more problems than we realised." She remarks that what has been found out about the impact of biofuels recently has been "rather a shock" and that there needs to be "a bit more caution".

At the moment, the European Union has a couple of targets in mind. (it's two percent at the moment).

But there's also which aims to cut the carbon footprint of fuels by 10% which could imply 20 to 30% biofuels.

Professor King says that the danger of European Union laws setting precise targets for biofuels is that they would suck "good" biofuels into the EU but obviously not prevent "bad" ones elsewhere such as the USA. That would mean, in the long run, the EU taking action could increase the pollution in the world.

She wants car manufacturers to come up with new technology, and quickly. She argues there is a lot of technology available that is just sitting on the shelf and the EU should not give car-makers the extra few years they want to adapt: "we need action fast."

Huge opportunities

She argues, as does the commission, that there are huge opportunities for car manufacturers who develop the new tech that she believes the whole world needs and will want.

She points out that, at the moment, one Chinese in 100 owns a car and that is clearly going to change.

Predictions indicate by 2050 there will be 600m cars in Asia: for a comparison at the moment there are 150m in the States.

She asks whether Europe wants to be in a position where "India is selling us low emission cars" or instead to exploit a "critical, vital, phenomenal market opportunity".

The man from the makes familiar arguments.

They can't meet the targets by 2012 because 95% of cars which will be sold then are already designed: it takes that much lead-time to produce a car.

That means the fines should not be punitive because there is no way the manufacturers can meet the targets. He says that car-makers should not be expected to shoulder all the burden themselves and consumers, policy makers, and others should take some of the pain.

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