Biofuels ‘not short-term energy solution’
Wire services
Photo by Jonathan Davis
Biofuels will not solve the world's energy problem in the short term,
Anglo-Dutch Shell chief executive Jeroen van der Veer has said, amid growing
criticism of their environmental and social benefits.
The remarks follow protests in Brazil and Europe against fuels derived from
food crops. Food shortages and rising costs have set off rioting and
protests in countries including Haiti, Cameroon, Niger and Indonesia.
"The essential point of biofuels is over time they will play a role," Van der
Veer told reporters on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum in
Rome, Reuters reported.
"But there are high expectations what role they will play in the short term."
Qatari Oil Mininster Abdullah al-Attiyah had harsher words to say about
biofuels at the energy forum.
"Now the world is facing a shortage of food," he said, answering a question at
a news conference. "I don't think we should blame oil, we should blame
biofuels."
Biofuels are set to play a growing role. The European Union agreed last year
to get 10 percent of all transport fuel from biofuels by 2020 to help fight
climate change.
But concern over meeting the biofuels targets has fuelled fears that sky-high
food prices may rise even further if fertile arable land in Europe is turned
over to growing "energy crops".
First-generation biofuels usually come from food crops such as wheat, maize,
sugar or vegetable oils. They need energy-intensive inputs like fertiliser,
which make it harder to cut emissions contributing to climate change.
Second-generation biofuels would use non-food products such as straw and waste
lumber. So far, their production has been mostly experimental.
"Biofuels are all about how you develop them without unintended consequences.
It is not only the competition with food, it is also the competition for
sweet water in the world," Shell's Van der Veer said.
21 April 2008 04:50 GMT
| last updated:
21 April 2008 07:34 GMT
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