Region

Home › Publications › Theme: Climate justice › Publication: Newsletter articles ›

Agrofuels and oil palm plantations

The promotion of agrofuels as a form of renewable energy is proving to be one of the European Union’s biggest policy mistakes.

EU agrofuels policies are aggravating climate change. They have become a key driver of forest and biodiversity loss, land-grabs and conflicts, and human rights abuses in producer countries such as Indonesia. Increasingly, agricultural land needed to produce food is being reallocated to grow crops for agrofuels to fuel cars rather than to feed hungry people. [more]

Agrofuels: key driver in new landgrabbing wave

DTE 93-94, December 2012

Agrofuels are often promoted by the agrofuels industry, investors and government officials as a means of providing livelihoods for rural communities, but how does this square with the fact that agrofuels are part of the landgrabbing problem in countries like Indonesia?

Palm oil for electricity, heat and transport in the UK

Down to Earth No.84, March 2010

There was a time when public debates around palm oil centred mainly on food ingredients and cosmetics. Today the focus of the debate has shifted to the use of palm oil for electricity and heat generation as well as for transport.


In the last couple of months the UK has seen a nation-wide wave of planning applications for agrofuels-based power stations. Two energy companies W4B Renewable Energy and Vo-gen, mention palm oil as fuel source in their applications, while others have not legally ruled it out.

Sawit Watch calls for EU to face up to oil palm responsibilities

Down to Earth No.82, September 2009

European countries are turning to agrofuels for energy and transport as part of their strategy to move away from fossil fuels and meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. The use of palm oil as an agrofuel source has drawn strong criticism due to the severe social, environmental and negative climate change impacts, which contradict industry claims that it is a 'green' fuel.

'Biochar' danger

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

The following CSO declaration was issued in March 2009 to urge governments to take a cautious approach to claims that charcoal - called 'biochar' by its promoters - can be a means of storing large amounts of carbon and mitigating climate change. Instead, 'biochar' could mean more land-grabbing, human rights violations and forest destruction.

EU energy policy drives agrofuel production

Down to Earth No.76-77, May 2008


The UK government and the European Union are pressing ahead with policies to increase agrofuel* use for energy - despite evidence of serious harm to the climate and communities - due to concerns about climate change, rising prices of fossil fuels and energy security.1

Palm oil industry launches PR campaign

Down to Earth No.75, November 2007


Evidence from local and international NGOs about the impacts of large-scale oil palm plantations on the environment and communities has made some buyers and parliamentarians in Europe realise that palm oil is not the 'green', sustainable product the industry claims.

Indonesia and biofuel fever

Down to Earth No. 74, August 2007


The Jambi-based NGO, SETARA, which focuses on issues related to livelihoods, energy, natural resources and foreign investment, distributed a position paper on Indonesia's palm oil supplies in May. It was headed with a quote from Cuba's former leader, Fidel Castro, that the use of food crops to produce fuels would cause rising prices and hunger for millions of people in developing countries.