Boris Johnson Hits the Brakes on Biofuel as He Slashes Net-Zero Targets to Tackle Cost of Living Crisis

June 25, 2022

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(Daily Mail) ... The Prime Minister has done it by reducing the amount of biofuel produced in UK; Biofuel requires wheat and maize – land that Mr Johnson believes could be better used for food production to combat soaring prices -- ... The PM will call on G7 leaders to review their biofuel use, arguing that it could help mitigate the global food crisis and supply chain issues exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Mr Johnson said: ‘While Vladimir Putin continues his futile and unprovoked war in Ukraine and cravenly blockades millions of tonnes of grain, the world’s poorest people are inching closer to starvation.

He added: ‘From emergency food aid to reviewing our own biofuel use, the UK is playing its part to address this pernicious global crisis.’

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The push for green fuel was one of the key pillars of the government’s net zero ambitions but now it is set to push for the amount of biofuel used globally to be cut by 10 per cent at Sunday’s G7 summit.

Government sources have stressed that the primary purpose of the Prime Minister’s review is to ensure people in poor countries have access to grain.

Britain sources more than 20 per cent of the ethanol used to create its biofuel from Ukraine. Land used globally to grow crops for the UK biofuel market could feed 3.5 million people if it was converted to food. READ MORE

Green Alliance: UK’s biofuel consumption making global food crisis worse (edie)

Boris Johnson and Joe Biden clash over plan to cut green fuels for food production: World’s poorest ‘inching closer to starvation’ says PM, as he pushes for waiver on climate commitments (Independent)

Germany doesn't see biofuel waiver proposal going through G7 (Reuters)

Johnson Pledges to Ditch Net Zero Biofuels Policy to Lower Food Prices (The Epoch)

Boris Johnson rows back on biofuel pledge to ease global food crisis -- The government said the use of grain for biofuel is contributing to food shortages and higher costs (Independent)

US to proceed with production of biofuels despite global food crisis -- Campaigners call to prioritise grain for human consumption over its use as a fuel (The Guardian)

Food crisis horror as UK 'wasting' enough to feed 3.5 million by using land for FUEL -- EVEN AS food prices reach eye-watering levels, experts have warned Express.co.uk that the UK has been wasting enough food crops to feed 3.5 million people. (Express)

US to proceed with production of biofuels despite global food crisis: Campaigners call to prioritise grain for human consumption over its use as a fuel (The Guardian)

Boris and Biden clash over biofuels: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has clashed with US President Joe Biden over a proposal to cut green fuels to boost food production. (Farmers Guardian)

UK and Germany could lower fuel and food prices by cutting biofuels -- The G7 group of nations reportedly rejected a proposal from the UK and Germany to lower biofuel production, but the two European nations could still go it alone (New Scientist)

‘It might be a shock but Boris Johnson is right on biofuels’, says Greenpeace UK chief scientist (inews)

Joe Biden to block Boris Johnson’s answer to global food crisis (Telegraph)

Johnson and Biden clash over plans to cut biofuel crops (Farmers Weekly)

Biden Admin Will Try to Block UK Plan to Swap Biofuels for Food Crops to Fight High Prices (Breitbart)

Johnson and Biden clash over plans to cut biofuel crops (Farmers Weekly)

Excerpt from Independent: American officials have said Mr Biden will block the plan in a bid to protect the lucrative US market for ethanol and biodiesels and the country’s climate change commitments.

German officials are downbeat on the chances of an agreement. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is said to expect the other G7 countries will reject a temporary waiver on the green fuels. READ MORE

Excerpt from The Guardian: Jewel Bronaugh, the deputy secretary of agriculture, said US farmers could continue to produce biofuels without harming food production. “We are keeping food security top of mind, but at the same time we also want to remain steadfast in the support and promotion of biofuel,” she told journalists in London, where she met the UK government to discuss a possible trade deal and cooperation on food issues.

She said biofuels could help to reduce the need for fossil fuels, and thus help to tackle the climate crisis, and were important in keeping down the price of fossil fuels. “We know they [biofuels] have a significant positive impact, not only on climate change, but on the affordability of gas [petrol], which is very important for the world economy,” she said.

“There are also opportunities for increasing jobs – a lot of significant benefits there, which we feel are important. We will continue to promote biofuels as a sustainable fuel, especially at a time when gas prices are so high,” she added.

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Bronaugh said US farmers were efficient and could produce both food and fuel. “We feel like our farmers are efficient enough to produce corn for food and corn to turn to ethanol. We are doing everything we can do to promote the highest productivity,” she said.

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The causes of the food price rises are complex, including the depletion of reserves during the pandemic, rising fuel costs as a result of the Ukraine war, and the impact of extreme weather, driven by the climate crisis. READ MORE