| This view was reinforced
by Paul Hodson, the EU Commissioner responsible for
the Biofuels directive where he was quite clear that
the EU would like to build in greater incentives such
as higher certificates for second generation Biofuels.
Also at the conference was Peter Ainsworth, Shadow
Secretary of State for the Environment. He expressed
the Conservative Party’s strong commitment to
Biofuels as a way of tackling climate change effects.
He said “I strongly support the idea of an RTFO.
So does the National Farmers Union. The idea of growing
our transport fuels close to home, rather than mining
them from depleting and ever more remote sources,
makes good sense from an environmental point of view,
and in terms of energy security”. He was deeply
concerned, however, that the Government had not gone
far enough, wanting the EU obligation level of 8%
rather than the UK’s 5%, and a higher penalty
for non-compliance to ensure that the fuel supply
companies actually delivered Biofuels rather than
buying their way out of the obligation. He called
on the Government to go further than they had because
“…the potential of Biofuels is here, now,
proven, workable and sustainable. Good for the environment,
good for local economies, good for the farming industry,
good for consumers, good for energy security.”
|
