Biofuels emit less CO2 than conventional fuels when they are used to power vehicles.
They are often produced from sources which, unlike coal and oil, grow back every year. They could see an end to decades in which overproduction in the agriculture sector has seen thousands of tonnes of EU crops wasted.
It is perhaps surprising then that political interest in increasing the production of biofuels has got so many environmental groups worried.
Biofuels threaten the tropical rainforests, according to WWF, the conservation group. Biofuels could wipe out birds of prey, says Birdlife International. And according to the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), biofuels even encourage inefficient cars.
Many of these environmental fears could be calmed by future ‘second generation’ biofuels (see Page 26). But for now, green groups are asking the EU to tread carefully.
WWF says eco-certificates should be compulsory for all biofuels, whether they are produced in Europe or imported. These would guarantee that producers had not used too many pesticides and that energy-intensive production methods had not led to very high CO2 emission. Most importantly, the environmental group would like certificates to discourage the destruction of forests to make way for fuel-friendly palm oil, soy and sugar.
The EEB warns that pushing biofuels as the environmentally friendly option will take the pressure off carmakers when it comes to cutting CO2 emissions. They say that total emissions from biofuels, including the production stage, could almost equal conventional fuel emissions. Until more efficient second-generation fuels are up and running, says the EEB, attention should be focused on low- emission cars, whatever fuel drivers choose.
And then there is the bête noire of many environmentalists: the possibility of increased cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe. For now, the idea is ruled out by strong public opposition and a slow EU approval procedure for GM crops. But the need to guarantee enough crops to make enough biofuel to hit EU targets is giving die-hard environmentalists another reason to lose sleep.