Fix the policy!

DTE 96-97, December 2013

Biofuels - once promoted as the silver bullet for climate change - have turned out to be one of the European Union’s biggest policy mistakes.

Europe’s colossal demand for palm oil for biodiesel is encouraging massive expansion of largescale, industrial plantations, driving forest and biodiversity loss and increasing carbon emissions, land-grabs and conflicts, and human rights abuses in Indonesia. Loss of forests and agricultural land threatens the food sovereignty of millions of local and Indigenous people who depend on forests and land to supply food.

In 2013, DTE and fellow NGOs ramped up the campaign to push decision-makers to fix the policy and halt its devastating impacts on Indonesia. There have been some signs of progress, some setbacks and some controversial decisions by the European Parliament – but the debate is not over yet. At time of writing, EU decision-makers are in the middle of critical negotiations which could swing the policy either way so we still need to keep up the pressure.

This newsletter highlights this year’s most important developments in biofuels policy-making at the EU and takes a look at what lies ahead, as well as drawing attention to the responsibility of the palm oil industry to clean up their business in Indonesia.

Thank you for all your support so far!  2014 will be critical year for setting the course for the future of biofuels policy. Please read on to find out more about the biofuels campaign and how you can help.