Rettet den Regenwald e.V. (Rainforest Rescue)

Stop the EU Commission from forcing biodiesel from palm oil on EU countries.

Since 05.02.10 1437 people have participated in this protest action.

EU Commission: this is not a forest, it’s a plantation

EU renewable energy legislation states that 10% of all road transport fuel in the EU will need to be “renewable” by 2020. Unfortunately this means biofuels, many of which are causing rainforest destruction and making climate change worse. Biodiesel from palm oil is one of the worst offenders. Palm oil plantations for food and fuel are the primary cause of rainforest destruction in Indonesia and Malaysia. Biodiesel from palm oil is extremely likely to produce higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional diesel, thereby making climate change worse not better.

The EU claims that only “sustainable” biofuels will meet the grade and be eligible to count towards the 10% target. However, a leaked draft document from the European Commission shows that it wants to call palm oil plantations “forest” so that razing rainforest to plant oil palm would not count as a change in land use.

The Commission says “This means…that a change from forest to oil palm plantation would not per se constitute a breach of the criterion”. The Commission also confirms in this draft document that “Member States may not set additional criteria of their own. They may not exclude biofuels/bioliquids on sustainability grounds where these meet the sustainability criteria laid down in the Directive”. Taken together, these two statements imply that the Commission plans to force biodiesel from palm oil onto member states.

Write to the new Energy Commissioner (Günter Oettinger) and Environment Commissioner (Janez Potocnik) and ask them to amend their policy and this draft document so that palm oil does not form part of the EU’s supposedly sustainable energy mix.

The leaked draft document from the EU Commission is available here http://www.foeeurope.org/agrofuels/EC_implementation_sustainability_scheme.pdf

Dear Commissioners Potocnik and Oettinger
Congratulations on your new role in the EU Commission.

I have read with concern a copy of a draft communication from the Commission to the Council and Parliament on the issue of biofuels (“Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the practical implementation of the EU biofuels and bioliquids sustainability scheme and on counting rules for biofuels”). I am hoping that in your new role you will be able to amend some of this draft to ensure that biodiesel from unsustainable palm oil does not contribute to the EU’s renewable energy targets.

The draft document states that “a change from forest to oil palm plantation would not per se constitute a breach of the criterion” because palm oil plantations can be defined as “continuously forested areas”. To call a palm oil plantation a forest is to make a grave error. It is well documented that the conversion of tropical forest to palm oil plantations causes massive biodiversity loss and, even more importantly in this context, greenhouse gas emissions.

The existing demand for palm oil is already responsible for massive rainforest destruction in Indonesia and Malaysia. These and other countries are now ramping up production to meet rapidly rising biofuel demand. By including biodiesel from palm oil in the obligatory EU biofuel mix we will be further accelerating rainforest destruction and causing even more greenhouse gas emissions. I find it appalling that the Commission intends to ensure that Member States cannot apply stricter sustainability standards than the ones you impose. This is tantamount to forcing palm oil on EU countries, whether they like it or not.

Sustainable biofuels may have a role to play in a climate friendly energy mix. Biodiesel from palm oil does not. The Commission should be doing all it can to ensure that the vast majority of palm oil does not count towards the renewable obligations, however with this draft document it appears that the Commission is bending over backwards to ensure palm oil gets through.

I understand that there is still an opportunity to rectify this mistake and avoid the terrible consequences it would cause. Please could you ensure that your colleagues on the Commission amend the draftbdocument and give a clear communication to the Parliament and Council that biodiesel from palm oil plantations on tropical rainforest cannot meet EU sustainability criteria.
Yours sincerely

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Stop the EU Commission from forcing biodiesel from palm oil on EU countries.