A recent study by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) has revealed the scale of environmental impacts from increased use of biofuels until 2020. The IEEP report reveals that, unless the policy changes, an area over twice the size of Belgium will be converted into fields and plantations because of the anticipated increase in biofuel consumption. This will cause an extra 27-56 million tons of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions per year – the equivalent of adding an extra 12-26 million cars on Europe’s roads by 2020. Unless the policy changes, biofuels that will come to the EU market would be on average 81 to 167% worse for the climate than the fossil fuels they were designed to replace, as a result of ILUC.
Clearly the EU needs to become much better in selecting biofuels that don’t displace large amounts of agricultural land. That will not be possible until GHG emissions from ILUC are taken into account when calculating the carbon footprint of biofuels.
Friends of the Earth Europe has made an animated film that summarizes brilliantly what ILUC is.
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