Call on your Members of Parliament to reject the 10% biofuels target
The Renewable Energy Directive is currently going through the European Parliament. This draft Directive contains a proposal that transport fuels should contain 10% biofuels by 2020.
There are a wide range of people and organisations who are opposed to this target and calling for it to be dropped. This page aims to provide you with the tools and background information necessary to join this call.
On 7 July 2008, the European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) voted to reduce the 10% target.
On 11 September the Industry Committee (ITRE) voted again to reduce the target.
 Read Friends of the Earth's press release here.
Read an analysis of the ITRE vote here (with thanks to Nusa Urbancic)
Now the issue will be discussed further between the EU institutions.
Next steps (to be updated)
Documents relevant to the Industry committee vote (11th September, Brussels)
Download a sample letter to MEPs on the Industry Committee: you can use this letter as an example so you can send a letter in your own words. This is available here.
A spreadsheet of the Members of the Industry Committee can be found here. Please prepare for when you will write to them and how you will approach them.
A broad range of NGOs have written a joint letter to members of the Industry Committee. Find this here.
Oxfam International has prepared an e-action to MEPs which can be sent in English, Spanish and French. Please send this information to your supporters or activist networks and ask them to write to their MEPs. Find this here.
Documents relevant to the Environment committee vote (7th July, Strasbourg)
Sample letter for national groups to send to their MEPs on the Environment Committee.
The joint NGO letter to ENVI MEPs (Birdlife, EEB, FERN, FOE Europe, Oxfam International, Transport and Environment, June 2008)
Joint NGO recommendations for voting on the amendments to the Renewables Directive (FOE Europe, Birdlife, EEB, July 2008)
The final voting record on the amendments.
An analysis of the voting record: what the final votes mean (by Nusa Urbancic)
A spreadsheet of the Members of the Environment Committee can be found here.
Documents on social criteri for sustainability standards
Joint NGO letter to the members of the ad hoc working group on sustainability criteria: recommendations for the inclusion of social criteria into the standards: Letter and annex of principles (March 2008).
A note summarising expert legal opinion received by Oxfam pertaining to EU biofuel policy on social standards and WTO compliance (2008)
FoE Europe's critique of certification schemes for soy and sugarcane (April 2008)
Other key documents and reports
A letter to Environment Committee members from the African Biodiversity Network, calling for the target to be dropped (June 2008)
Reports from Wetlands International
Biofuels in Africa - An assessment of risks and benefits for African wetlands
Peat-CO2 - Assessment of CO2 emissions
from drained peatlands in SE Asia (2006)
The leaked World Bank report on biofuels driving up food prices: A note on rising food prices (April 2008)
OECD 2008 report: Economic assessment of biofuel support policies
The Gallagher report (July 2008)
FAO 2008 report: The Right to Food and the impact of liquid Biofuels (agrofuels)
FAO 2008 report: Gender and Equality issues in liquid biofuels production. Read the news story here, and download the report here.
UNCTAD's position on biofuels policies and the global food crisis
Summary of Fact-finding Mission to Brazil: Joint NGO report (May 2008)
Reports on land rights and forest protection from the Rights and Resources Initiative (2008)
Seeing people through the trees
From exclusion to ownership Challenges and opportunities in advancing forest tenure reform
The IFPRI (International Food Policy Research Institute) and FAO report:
Impact of climate change and bioenergy on Nutrition
Oxfam International report: Another inconvenient truth, How biofuel policies are deepening poverty and accelerating climate change (June 2008)
For more key documents, click here.
And lastly, for fun, check out the The biofuel song: Biofuel, crazy idea
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