10 inconvenient facts about the EU biofuels sector
Four in every five litres of biofuel in the EU is biodiesel
On average, EU food-based biodiesel will lead to around 80% higher emissions than the fossil diesel it replaces.
Biodiesel uses 44% of all vegetable oils – food – consumed in Europe
Around half of EU production of crop biodiesel is based on imports, not crops grown by EU farmers
Biodiesel uses more than half of all palm oil imported into the EU, making drivers the top consumers of this oil
Palm biodiesel is on average three times worse for the climate than fossil diesel
95% of the biodiesel plants built by 2012 have already been paid back
The biofuels sector is the smallest employer in the EU bioeconomy
With one football pitch covered with crops you can power 2.4 cars in one year; same land covered with solar panels powers 260 electric cars in one year
Currently, most EU biofuels increase, not decrease emissions