Response of environmentalists to Malaysian and Indonesian Palm Oil PR initiative

8th June 12007

Press release

Prepared by Watch Indonesia! and www.biofuelwatch.org

The Malaysian and Indonesian governments, and Malaysian Palm Oil Council, are undertaking a PR tour promoting Palm Oil production. This week a series of talks and seminars with EU legislators are being given in London, Brussels and Holland. http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BT/Monday/Nation/BT625654.txt/Article/ http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=42181&newsdate=28-May-2007 European policy makers must be aware that there are many unanswered concerns remain for European NGOs about the sustainability and human rights of Palm Oil production. These are critical ... read more

Posted on 09:27 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), indigenous people, Indonesia, palm oil, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

Open Letter to the Members of European Parliament – Re: EU Biofuel Policy

4th June 2007

URGENT: re amendments and vote on the Draft Opinion on A Roadmap for Renewable Energy in Europe (Rapporteur: Britta Thomsen)

Dear Madam/Sir, As you know, the European Commission is currently working on a proposal for a revised Biofuels Directive, expected to be published in autumn. According to these plans, 10% of all transport fuels have to be biofuels by 2020. Many organisations now prefer to call biofuels ‘agrofuels’, since the word ‘bio’ fuels creates an image ... read more

Posted on 09:41 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), poverty, biodiversity, food security, European Union (EU), indigenous people, Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, rain forest destruction

(Deutsch) Run auf Bio-Diesel tötet Orang-Utans

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German version

Posted on 01:26 PM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

(Deutsch) Fremdwort Nachhaltigkeit

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German version

Posted on 02:03 PM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

Letter to Ministers to abandon EU biofuel targets

Februrary 2007

Dear Minister,

OVER 160 ENVIRONMENTAL, DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS CALL UPON THE EU TO ABANDON BIOFUEL TARGETS.

In the build up to the EU Council meeting of Energy Ministers on February 14th, we are writing to you to highlight the concern of many organisations worldwide about proposed EU targets for biofuels. We are calling on you and your government to reject the proposal for EU-wide targets for biofuel use. At the time of writing over 160 organisations from Europe and the ... read more

Posted on 09:56 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, palm oil, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

Ethical fuels?

EuropeanVoice.com, Vol. 13 No. 4: 1 February 2007

Germany provides an excellent example of the growing debate in Europe over the use of biofuels.

Influential non-governmental organisations, political voices and ordinary citizens have called for decades for the replacement of fossil fuels, so many localities jumped at the idea of biofuels as a way to increase their use of renewable energy. Local governments planned to use biofuels in local heating systems and indoor swimming pools around Germany while projects ... read more

Posted on 02:27 PM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: Indonesia, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

We call on the EU to abandon targets for biofuel use in Europe

31 January 2007

Open Letter

To: The Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and citizens in Europe

We are extremely concerned by the plans as presented by the European Commission to adopt a mandatory target for biofuel use in transport. Implementing these measures means that the EU will risk breaching its international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity and human rights; because, as set out below – the proposed targets will amongst other things ... read more

Posted on 01:27 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), biodiversity, food security, Indonesia, human rights, environment and climate, certification

Open letter to European Commission Biomass Action Plan and the European Biofuel Directive

Berlin, January 3, 2007

Dear Madam, dear Sir,

on January 10th, 2007, the European Commission is going to make an announcement about the review of the Biomass Action Plan and the European Biofuel Directive.

In December 2006, the European Parliament recognized that the lack of clear environmental standards and safeguards could have significant negative effects, such as an increase in tropical deforestation, agriculture intensification and biodiversity losses in Europe and abroad, while failing to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For producer countries like ... read more

Posted on 09:05 PM in Agro Fuels, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch's Open Letters
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, land rights, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

(Deutsch) Watch Indonesia! fordert Verzicht auf Biodiesel aus indonesischem Palmöl

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German version

Posted on 03:18 PM in Agro Fuels, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, carbon, human rights, palm oil, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

(Deutsch) Europas Energieprobleme nicht auf Kosten anderer lösen!

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German version

Posted on 12:08 PM in Agro Fuels, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch's Press Releases & Statements
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction