EU policies on Renewable Energy

Why does BirdLife oppose to the 10% target for biofuels in the Renewable Energy Directive?

This binding target of 10% biofuels (by energy content) will no doubt encourage large-scale industrial feedstock plantations, both within and outside EU, increasing as well the use of water and fertilisers in order to achieve profitable yield of biofuel crops per unit of land. Indeed it has been estimated that in order to achieve the target of 10% a range from 118 to 508 million hectares of new agricultural land will be required depending on the crop type and productivity level. The current area of arable land in the world is set at 1,400 million hectares. ( SCOPE 2009)

Furthermore, the current and past experience with the expansions of soya, palm oil, sugarcane and other such plantations in the developing world suggests that it will be accompanied by widespread environmental destruction, competition with food production and social injustice or violations of land use rights such as the forced eviction of native people and subsistence farmers off their land.

Isn’t the development and use of electricity in the transport sector also encouraged in the Directive?

Indeed the 10% target set at the Renewable Energy Directive refers not only to biofuels but to also other types of renewable energy as electricity. However there are several inconsistencies and uncertainties that results in a weaker support to this form of energy.

Member States are encouraged, though not obliged, to promote electric vehicles. Already countries like Denmark, France, Spain, UK, Sweden and Ireland have launched plans to increase their use of electric vehicles. The energy consumed in road and rail transport will count 2.5 times towards the target. However there are no provisions for how the amount of renewable energy used in non road/rail sectors should be calculated, whereas for the use for biofuels there are detailed provisions. Another large uncertainty is how electricity consumed in road vehicles shall be estimated as there is no method to measure electricity for vehicles separately from overall supply.

In addition when calculating the contribution from electricity produced by renewable sources and consumed in vehicles, Member States can choose either to base it on the EU average or on the share of their own country. This means that countries with a low share of renewable electricity could use the EU share regardless of their real figure.

Due to evident lack of clarity, the role renewable electricity will play will highly depend on the support policies given by individual Member States.

To read more about BirdLife´s position on the EU Biofuel Policy and recommendations for action click here to download the report: Biofuels. Handle with care.

The amendment of the Fuel Quality Directive sets specifications for petrol, diesel and gas-oil used in cars, trucks and other vehicles - in order to protect human health and the environment. Besides a series of requirements of permitted levels of pollutants in fuels, this amendment requires suppliers to reduce the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions (i.e. production, transport and use) of the fuels used by 6% by 2020, with an additional 4% voluntary reduction.

In theory these requirements could be achieved through efficiency measures in the oil supply chain such as phasing out flaring and venting. However, since the majority of fossil fuel GHG emission comes from its use, this emission cut could largely be met by the suppliers by replacing fossil fuel with biofuels. This will dramatically increase the use of current biofuels and thus bring along the accompanying environmental and social risks.