MEPs are to vote on a key reform to improve current policy on biofuels. But can a balance be struck that is good for the environment and industry?

Biofuels: The next generation

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16373698/n001-130909-001-enx.srt

10% of the fuel we use  has to come from renewable energy.

A big percentage of that quota  comes from biofuels.

Great for the environment  and domestically produced,

they reduce our reliance  on foreign fuel imports.

MEPs want to cap  crop-based biofuel production

to 5.5% of their 2020  renewable energy goals

and promote new-generation biofuels  such as algae.

But can they really strike the balance that  helps the industry and the environment?

Traditional food-based biofuels  generate lots of greenhouse gases,

and with farmland used for fuel  and not for food

it's increasing demand  and reliance on imports.

Faustine Defossez, an environmentalist,  says reform of the bio-industry is crucial.

If we follow the Member State projections,

of an additional 14-29 million cars  in emissions on EU roads.

So it seems biofuels,  at least the first generation of them,

aren't the environmentally sound alternative  to fossils we once thought.

But the next generation  of biofuel technology may be.

However, it's a complex pathway  to arriving there.

We must reduce the percentage  of foodstuffs used to make fuel -

at the same time as consolidating  industry due to the jobs

and encouraging new advanced  biofuel technologies.

But the industry needs time  and incentives

to switchover  to new-generation biofuels.

There were people  who invested in biodiesel.

You need to give them time  to pay back their investments.

We conducted a study to check when  biofuel investments would be paid back.

Our study showed it to be  the end of 2017.

The big vote on biofuels  takes place next Wednesday

but with the environment  and industry committees at odds

over the cap on first generation biofuels  could we be in for a bumpy ride?

Just like these corns,  it's all aboard to Strasbourg to find out.