The National Party is using a new report on biofuels to again
call for the scrapping of legislation that requires oil
companies to introduce it.
The Government's bill has been watered down by a select
committee but it still requires a minimum biofuel content
starting at 0.53 percent on October 1 rising to 2.5 percent
by 2012.
National's climate change spokesman, Nick Smith, said Oxfam
had released a report which said biofuels caused poverty and
accelerated climate change.
"Many New Zealanders will morally object to being forced to
use biofuels that are contributing to starvation and causing
food riots and poverty," he said.
"The fundamental flaw in the Biofuel Bill is that the
compulsory requirement comes into effect on October 1 but the
sustainability standards follow a year or more later."
The sustainability standards are supposed to ensure the
biofuel is produced in ways that are not detrimental to the
environment.
The select committee was told by the Parliamentary
Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, that the carbon
footprint of many foreign-produced biofuels was worse than
fossil fuels.
Dr Wright said they could also lead to deforestation,
supplant food production and push up prices.
