GAVE
Climate neutral gaseous and liquid energy carriers
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GAVE is a government programme that supports the development and introduction of climate-neutral fuels in the Dutch transport sector.
The programme's most important task is to support the implementation of the European Renewable Energy Directive into Dutch national legislation with respect to biofuels.
This EU Directive states that, by the year 2020, 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must be derived from renewable energy.
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| GAVE news |
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Report presented concerning criteria for sustainable biomass
Date published: Aug 30, 2006 |
State Secretary Van Geel (Ministry of VROM, which includes the environment) has been presented with the report entitled Criteria for sustainable biomass production which has been written by the Cramer Commission.
The report, commissioned by the Interdepartmental Programme Directorate for Energy Transition, indicates how the government can prevent biofuel and green electricity production from damaging nature and the environment. In order to achieve this, the government plans to include sustainability criteria in the regulations concerning biofuels for road transport and the MEP scheme (environmental quality electricity production).
Over the past few years, environmental organisations have been extremely critical of certain aspects, including the use of palm oil in power plants, because this means deforestation of tropical rain forests in developing countries. Since biomass can also be used for food production, this also forms a danger to the food supplies in these countries. They also point out that the environmental benefits of certain biofuels are limited.
The Commission therefore wants to see the use of biomass rewarded on the basis of sustainability: as the use of biomass reduces more greenhouse gas emissions, more subsidy will be supported. From 2007 onwards the Commission wants to see only biomass used that reduces the total CO2 emissions by at least 30%. In 2011 this minimum reduction percentage should be increased to 50%.
Also from 2007 onwards, organisations will be required to report whether human rights, the environment, and/or the local economy are endangered by producing biomass for the Dutch market.
The project group began formulating these criteria at the end of 2005, under the leadership of prof. dr. Jacqueline Cramer. Companies, environmental organisations and universities have participated in this project. The first phase has now been finalised, with the group defining criteria and indicators to test biomass for all aspects of sustainability: environment, welfare and prosperity. The next phase will involve further defining these sustainability criteria so that they can be incorporated into government policies. |
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