NGOs call for IMO to reject biofuels
Ahead of the Marine Environment Protection Committee convention (MEPC 83) next week, three NGOs have called on the Internation Maritime Organisation (IMO) to exclude biofuels from its global fuel standards and commit to “truly clean energy alternatives.”
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The IMO and its 176 member states are to convene next week to finalise measures that will drive the shipping industry toward its net-zero emissions framework and interim targets.
The three non-profits – Biofuelwatch, AbibiNsroma Foundation, and the Global Forest Coalition (GFC) – have argued that biofuels have “no place” in any policy that aims to reduce the carbon footprint and GHG emissions in the maritime sector.
The non-profits claim that the rising demand for biofuels can be met by expanding farmland into forests and other natural ecosystems, or by cutting food production, ultimately driving up prices.
Biofuels derived from crops such as palm oil and soy are the “major drivers of deforestation,” according to the non-profits. The production of biomass and biodiesel from palm oil have caused “devastating environmental and social disasters in Indonesia.”
The non-profits highlighted a recent study by the Environmental Investigations Agency that presents evidence of large quantities of palm oil entering the EU mislabeled as UCO or palm oil mill effluent (POME).
“More than 60,000 hectares of peat forest in Rawa Tripa, Aceh, have already been converted into oil palm plantations, and the deforestation is ongoing,” Yusmadi Yusuf, director of the Aceh Wetland Foundation and Coordinator of the Coalition Save Land and Forests of Aceh (KSLHA) said.
The non-profits have urged the IMO to prioritize solutions that don’t jeopardize forestry, indigenous communities and global food security. “Existing biofuel demand is far beyond what can possibly be met from genuine wastes and residues,” Almuth Ernsting of Biofuelwatch said.
Despite regulatory pressures on the shipping industry to reduce emissions, the current demand for biofuel remains modest. However, demand for biofuels is expected to rise in 2025, driven by regulations such as the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and FuelEU Maritime.
By Aparupa Mazumder
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