Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have today (11 September), voted to cap the use of crop-based biofuels to six per cent of transport fuel.

The parliament voted in favour of capping biofuel production from ‘traditional’ food crops - such as wheat, corn, or sugar - to no more than six per cent of the EU’s 2020 goal of sourcing 10 per cent of transport fuels from renewables. This is higher than the current cap of 4.5 per cent. MEPs also supported introducing a 2.5 per cent share for ‘second generation’ biofuel sources, such as seaweed and waste, in the hopes of accelerating the switchover to a ‘new generation’ of biofuel sources.

Environmental Damage

The six per cent limit is a middle ground between the 5.5 and the eight per cent caps suggested by the environment industry committees and renewable energy firms respectively, preceding the vote.

According to the European Parliament Environment Committee (ENVI), a cap was needed as producing ‘first generation’ biofuels was leading to negative environmental impacts, such as deforestation, over-faming and other ‘indirect land use change’ (ILUC). This, in turn, was found to be increasing greenhouse gas emissions – thus cancelling out the ‘beneficial effects of using biofuels’ over traditional fossil fuels.

On top of environmental concerns, a report from the House of Commons International Development Committee (IDC), published this May, found the increasing use of biofuels is undermining food security by forcing up the price of food crops.

Speaking at the time, Chair of the International Development Committee, Sir Malcolm Bruce, said: "Biofuel crops not only displace food crops but are in some cases providing energy sources that are potentially more damaging to the environment than fossil fuels.”

Vote marks ‘desperately weak compromise’

Despite the cap, some environmentalists have criticised the biofuel policy, with Friends of the Earth Biofuels Campaigner, Kenneth Richter, saying that cap is too low to affect change: "MEPs have missed a historic opportunity fix a biofuel policy that has led to soaring food prices, deforestation and an increase in climate-changing emissions.

“Instead the European Parliament has opted for a desperately weak compromise that will fail to curb the grave social and environmental impacts caused by the EU's biofuel target. The UK government must keep its promise and push for proper reform of EU biofuel rules."

Those in the renewable energy industry have also criticised the outcome of the vote, with Clare Wenner, Head of Renewable Transport at the Renewable Energy Association, saying that the cap was in fact 'too tight':“[F]uture investments are likely to remain on hold following today’s voting in Strasbourg, which introduces a whole new level of procedural complexity into the ILUC policy situation. The six per cent overall cap is too tight and the REA [Renewable Energy Association] continues to oppose the introduction of ILUC factors until there is convincing scientific evidence that biofuels should be singled out in this way. There are some bright spots, though, such as the separate target for advanced biofuels and the continuation of double counting for biofuels made from used cooking oil.

“Today’s vote puts a particular responsibility on the European member states in the council, including our own government, to reach conclusions that will allow the UK biofuels industry to move forward with confidence.”

However, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, welcomed the vote, tweeting: 'EP's vote on ILUC [is] one step forward in getting it right on #biofuels'.

Read more about biofuels.