Biofuels – an expensive climate con

No matter where you go to check the news, you’re probably used by now to hearing all about the financial crisis.

Governments across Europe are slashing their budgets and we’re told the age of austerity is here to stay – at least for the time being.

But as our governments desperately seek savings in all sectors, poverty is continuing to rise and more people are going hungry every day.

Commitments to tackle climate change are also being ignored as public money is pumped into banks and other businesses struggling to adapt to the end of excess.

Knowing all this, you may be wondering why European governments are spending your money on biofuels – a failed solution to tackling climate change.

New research published today reveals that biofuels targets agreed by all EU countries will cost a massive €126 billion for the 2010-2020 period. All this without doing what they were actually designed to do – reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But if this whopping waste of money wasn’t enough, the policies are also pushing up global food prices and driving millions of people in poor countries off their land, and into hunger.

In fact, over 37 million hectares of land has already been grabbed globally to produce biofuels. And that figure is only set to increase.

Africa is hardest hit with 66% of land grabs happening for biofuel crops, depriving local communities of the land and water essential for growing their own food.

The EU’s targets currently require 10% of transport energy to come from renewable sources by 2020, with almost all of it expected to come from biofuels. But the alarming truth is that the policy won’t actually cut carbon emissions.

In fact, in 2020, the increased carbon emissions due to biofuels will create an additional 65 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year – equivalent to putting a staggering 29 million more cars on Europe’s roads.

Biofuels are bad for the economy, for the climate and for the world’s poor. So it’s time to put an end to the EU’s targets. 

What can you do to stop this biofuels climate con? Click here to sign ActionAid UK’s petition and let’s put an end to these foolish biofuels targets.