World Environment Day highlights need for EU action on biofuels

3.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Jun 2008

Marking World Environment Day, London Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has called for the European Union to take a strong lead in developing only sustainable and environmentally beneficial biofuels, and to ensure that these biofuels do not impact upon the world's food supply.

Speaking from Brussels, where EU environment ministers are meeting in an attempt to break the deadlock over biofuels policy, Sarah Ludford said:

"Biofuels are in principle a valuable proposition, but they have been implemented without sufficient green safeguards and with damaging affects on rainforests, local environments and food supplies."

"The EU must act as a world leader in the biofuels debate and ensure that strict rules are in place to protect the environment and ensure that fuel for the rich world does not mean starvation for the poor world."

"We cannot allow biofuel producers to tear up rainforests vital to combat climate change or displace essential food crops in the desire for a quick climate fix which badly backfires at the expense of the most vulnerable. EU environment ministers must face up urgently to their responsibilities."