Skip to main content

Proceeding contribution from Ruth Kelly (Labour) in the House of Commons on Monday, 7 July 2008. It occurred during Ministerial statement on Biofuels.


Biofuels

The right hon. Gentleman makes an incredibly important point. In the north-east of England with the Ensus site, but also on other sites, the production process has very substantial direct greenhouse gas savings from well to wheel. Part of the reason for that is, as I have explained, that the co-products are also used to substitute for animal feed. What it does not take into account is the indirect impact. The report suggests that even in those cases we ought to think through the indirect impact. Clearly, we do not currently have a mechanism for measuring the indirect impact, or for safeguarding against the potential greenhouse gas consequences or the increase in food prices that might result. In future, however, we should aspire to that. The report sets out a cautious approach that will give us time to have those global negotiations to put in place progressive measures to control land use, and to make sure that as far as possible—it will not always be possible—first or indeed second generation biofuels are produced on idle or marginal land.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
478 c1176-7 
Session
2007-08
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
Climate change Biofuels Environment protection Fossil fuels Motor vehicles Standards Transport Renewable energy
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk