Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.
MEPs have voted to reject an EU regulation that would have seen soy biofuels no longer count as a renewable fuel by 2030.
Members of the European Parliament have voted to reject an EU regulation that would have seen soy biofuels no longer count as a renewable fuel by 2030. Soy bean cultivation is one of the world’s leading causes of deforestation and land clearance, says T&E.
The decision to reverse the regulation could now see the EU liable for over $5.6 billion a year in retaliation penalties from Indonesia and Malaysia for failing to meet a legal obligation to update its laws regarding deforestation-risk biofuels, according to a letter sent to MEPs from Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
The EU previously won a WTO trade dispute against Indonesia and Malaysia that allowed the EU to keep a phase out of palm oil biofuels – of which Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s biggest producers – provided it took a scientific and consistent approach to what it considers high deforestation risk feedstocks. This condition will now not be met as a result of today’s vote, leaving the EU open to litigative action from these palm oil powerhouses.
