FW: KENNEDY (CCC): UK SHOULD LIMIT BIOENERGY USE FOR CO2 REDUCTION GOAL
Chris Hodrien
Thomson Reuters [biofuel...@email.thomsonreuters.com]
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2011
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BIOFUELS:
KENNEDY (CCC): UK SHOULD LIMIT BIOENERGY USE FOR CO2 GOAL
LONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Britain should aim for a 10-percent share of
bioenergy in total energy demand in 2050 to achieve its long-term
climate target, but any more could do more harm than good to the
environment, a government adviser said on Wednesday.
The Conservative-led coalition government will unveil its strategy for
bioenergy early next year, as part of a wider plan to cut carbon emissions
by 80 percent by mid-century.
Much of the strategy will be guided by its independent advisory body, the
Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which published its bioenergy
review on Wednesday.
The review concluded that a 10-percent share of bioenergy in total energy
could be required to meet the 2050 emissions target, compared to the
current share of 2 percent.
But relying on biofuels and other forms of bioenergy without tougher
green criteria could spur the indirect climate impact biofuels create by
diverting crops into fuel tanks.
An example of an indirect impact is if biofuel crops are grown on soil
which could otherwise be used for food, and food production is displaced
as a result of chopping down rainforest, said the head of CCC.
"There is no rationale to be doing biofuels for the sake of it when this
simply adds to emissions rather than reducing emissions, which is the
primary objective here," David Kennedy, chief executive of the CCC, told
Reuters.
Even a 10-percent share of bioenergy, whether bioethanol used in cars or
wood chips burned in power stations, could mean a possible trade-off
with wider environmental and social objectives, he said.
Ten agencies, including the World Bank and World Food Programme,
recently called on governments to scrap policies to support biofuels,
because they force up food prices.
European Union policymakers are also debating the green credentials of
some biofuels and should present proposals for approval by EU
governments and lawmakers early next year. Yet legislation might take
several years.
The EU has a 2020 target of getting 10 percent of energy for transport
from renewable sources, namely biofuels.
"It's something they are working on now and I would expect a
recommendation in the near future," he said, adding that regulators in
both the UK and Europe should ensure that bioenergy used over the next
decade and beyond "is sustainable".
TOUGHER MEASURES
The CCC called for stronger regulation for biofuels, whether as fuel for the
transport sector or power generation.
At the UK level, for instance, it said the emissions benchmark for use of
biomass in power generation should be reduced to 200 grams of carbon
dioxide per kilowatt hour from the current level of 285g CO2/kWh.
Yet tougher measures could spell trouble for some companies betting on
a surge in demand for biofuels in the next few years.
In the UK, BP joint venture Vivergo Fuels is building a bioethanol plant in
Hull, which should come online in the first half of next year.
Meanwhile, rival bioethanol producer Ensus decided to shut down
Britain's largest bioethanol plant in May for an undisclosed time, partly
due to the debate over biofuels' green credentials which has created
uncertainty for EU producers.
Given the concerns about indirect land-use impacts, the CCC said the
government should delay setting any new targets until new regulatory
arrangements have been put into place to ensure a more environmentally
friendly supply of bioenergy.
"If it becomes clear that sustainable supply is below levels currently
targeted, targets should be adjusted downwards, rather than delivered in
an unsustainable fashion," the review paper said.
It said the government should avoid subsidies for new large-scale biomass
power generation. "Such subsidies, recently proposed by the government,
would be costly and unsustainable," the CCC added.