From today, fuel sold in the UK will contain a minimum of 2.5% biofuels, as government regulations come into effect. This is in keeping with the terms of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), announced in November 2005. That percentage is due to rise to 5% by 2010. Most consumers will be unaware of the change as they fill up their cars. The switch has been made at the point of supply, using biofuels sourced from all round the world.

"Making it easier for motorists to use greener fuel is an important step towards reducing carbon emissions from transport," says Minister for Transport Jim Fitzpatrick. "It should help save millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in the coming years." Specifically, it is hoped that British motorists will save 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 in the next two years.

Environmentalists, of course, will beg to differ, with Greenpeace labelling the policy "reckless", and the RSPB condemning it as "utter folly".

As well as concerns over sustainability, the supply of the biofuels has come into question. As the targets have been rushed through, oil companies have had to source the alternative fuels at short notice. No safeguards have been put in place, and the fuels are currently untraceable. Much has come from Indonesia, where rainforests are being cleared for palm plantations. More has come from Colombia, where there are rumours of people being harassed off their farms in order to clear land for biofuel production. Then once the fuel has been processed, it may be shipped to the US and topped up with conventional fuel to make the most of subsidies, in what has been dubbed the 'splash and dash' scandal - making a mockery of the notion that biofuels will lower emissions.

If that wasn't enough, there's the issue of rising food prices. With growing awareness of the current global food crisis, the RTFO targets hit at a particularly inconvenient time. Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling admits as much, as he told G7 leaders last week:

It would be a profound mistake if we get into a situation where we are growing corn that is essential for feeding people and converting it into fuel. That is not sustainable. -- Guardian

All of this speaks of a policy conceived and executed far too quickly and without proper consultation. In fact, Alastair Darling is not the only one sounding a warning bell. The government already knows it has implemented a half-baked solution, with Minister of the Environment Phil Woolas seeking to calm fears about sustainability right off the bat: "Obviously sustainability needs to be at the heart of all biofuel production and it will remain at the forefront of all policy development in this area. We must be able to produce biofuel without causing a negative impact on our natural environment."

Unfortunately, it is a little too late for that. The fuel is on sale already, and the standards needed to ensure that people and planet will not be abused by the rush to biofuels lag behind. It's just the kind of grasping for easy solutions that we need to be wary of, targets being seized upon and enshrined in law before a topic is properly understood, as it is more important to be seen to be doing something than to plan for long-term change. Still, the U-turn on biofuel targets some campaigners had hoped for may not have materialised, but it's not too late to re-think the rise to 5%, or to re-focus efforts around fuel efficiency or public transport instead.

Further Reading:

• Climate Change Minister Caves Under Biofuels Pressure

Want to comment? Visit the Celsias Lounge and find or start a topic!