Biofuels,which is supposed to reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions has suffered a setback in the EU.The European Union (EU) has announced that the amount of biofuels that will be required to make up the transportation energy mix by 2020 has been halved from 10 per cent to 5 per cent.The rollback mostly affects first-generation biofuels, which are produced from food crops such as corn, sugarcane, and potato.
A study conducted in 2009-2012 by the EU found that greenhouse gas emissions were on the rise because of conversion of agricultural land for planting first-generation biofuel crops. It also became known that large quantities of carbon stock had been released into the atmosphere because of forest clearance.
The EU is now incentivising second-generation biofuels — manufactured from crop residues such as organic waste, algae, and woody materials — that do not interfere with food-production.There has been widespread protest across the globe against first generation biofuels as it may affect the food production,green carbon sink etc.
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