International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use

This is a critical issue to address ...

When land used for food or feed production is turned over to growing biofuel crops, agriculture has to expand elsewhere. This can result in new deforestation and destruction of other ecosystems, particularly in tropical regions in the developing world. The resulting heat-trapping emissions from clearing new land can be significant and may outweigh any emissions savings from the use of biofuels. Scientific studies have warned about the unintended climate consequences of the indirect land use changes associated with increased demand for biofuels and the need to address the issue by changing existing biofuel policies. Nearly 200 scientists and economists with expertise related to climate, energy, and land use have signed on to the International Scientists and Economists Statement on Biofuels and Land Use to urge the European Commission to recognize and account for indirect land use change impacts as a part of the lifecycle analyses of heat-trapping emissions from biofuels.