Newer biofuels that don't impact on land use have been given a boost by the Environment Committee which has backed new rules recognising the dangers of land-use changes.

Boost for more sustainable biofuels

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16362582/n001-130711-001-en.srt

Biofuels will increasingly  power tomorrow's vehicles,

but growing fuel crops has side effects,

like Indirect Land Usage Change,  which can also impact on climate.

That's why MEPs  on the Environment Committee

want to encourage new types  of more sustainable biofuels.

A balance must be found  between the interests of industry,

which has invested  in first-generation biofuels,

and the need to reduce  our greenhouse gas emissions

while investing  in second-generation biofuels.

The vote has been welcomed  by environmental campaigners.

They have re-focused the market on  those biofuels that we need for the future,

which are more advanced biofuels,  supposed to save more emissions,

and less severe for the environment  and people because they use less land.

The EU is committed to 10% of transport  being fuelled from renewables by 2020.

But fears about consequences led MEPs  to demand only 5.5% from crops,

the rest from non-food sources, like waste.

But that has put up the price  of used cooking oil.

which means cutting down rainforests  in places like Indonesia

The palm oil was being imported  into Europe, used to fry a few chips

and then sold at a profit  as cooking oil!

this French company produces biodiesel  from fermented algae.

It's new technology, a so-called  'third-generation' solution, but it works.

It's developments like this  that the report aims to encourage.

The new investment programme  of the EU, Horizon 2020,

puts a lot of money into research  for the second generation,

like algae, like other chemicals  that can produce energy.

MEPs want to see more sustainable  biofuels being used in transport

but without negative environmental  or social effects.

The report was passed,  but may still face a battle

when it goes before a full plenary session  in September.