Amidst growing criticism over biofuels, over the weekend EU energy ministers discovered that they had misread a policy document from last March that outlined Europe’s targets for the controversial energy source. As it turns out, the target - previously understood to have 10 percent of the fuel for cars and trucks coming from biofuels by 2020 - actually only demands that the 10 percent come from renewable energy sources in general (including anything from hydrogen fuel cells to electric cars powered by clean electrical sources).

The new interpretation comes in the wake of growing protest and second thoughts regarding biofuels (see earlier post from May 13). Once seen as the green panacea for transportation emissions, biofuels have come under attack for releasing as many greenhouse gases as fossil fuels and for encouraging farmers to grow crops for fuel, not food, thereby contributing to the current food crisis. Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank, directed a statement to the leaders currently at the G8 summit, “The US and Europe also need to take action to reduce mandates, subsidies and tariffs benefiting grain and oil seed biofuels that take food off the table for millions.”

Following this reinterpretation of the policy, on Monday the Environment Committee of the European Parliament recommended that the EU lower its biofuels target and instead work to emphasize other renewable energy sources for transport fuels. Coincidentally, Portugal will announce, later today, its plans to create a national network of charging stations for zero-emission electric cars, due to arrive from France in 2011.

See Also:

“Biofuel for thought,” Financial Times, 8 July 2008

“EU biofuels target ‘probably a mistake,’ France says,” EU Observer, 30 June 2008

“Slowing the biofuel bonanza,” BBC News, 7 July 2008