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The history of biofuels in the European Union From environmental saviour to Climate Bomb Trigger Ph.D. Student, Jacob Nordangård Department of Thematic Studies, Technology and Social Change Dissertation: Ordo Ab Chao, The Political History of Biofuels in the European Union – Actors, Networks and Strategies Defended: December 14, 2012 Analytical frame • • • • • Mapping of actors and networks involved Who sets the agenda and initiates the political problem to be solved? What are the triggering events? Characteristics of the actor network? Resource exchanges between actors? Methodology • • • • • • Document studies Content analysis Reconstruction of the historical process and the networks Long time scale The history of how Climate Change/Energy Security became prioritized as problems (1950s – 1992) The history of biofuels in the EU (19922012) 1) Policy Life Cycle 2) 3) 4) Recognition of the problem – a potential environmental problem is acknowledged; often lead by think tanks as WRI, Royal Institute of International Affairs and Worldwatch Institute; Activists like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace draw public attention to the problem. This is in some cases followed by a “trigger event” that spurs direct action. Policy Formulation – a debate starts about how to solve the issue, environmentalists like Greenpeace thinks that proposals are too weak and late while business interests/lobby try to delay the game. In the end an agreement is reached. Implementation – the legislation is implemented. The NGOs “draw attention to non-compliance or neglect” Control – The environmental problem has been solved and put under control. In some cases it needs to be redone due to inefficiency Actors • • • • • • • • • Transnational companies/lobbyists Non-Governmental Organisations Think tanks Research Institutes Philantrophic foundations Inter-parliamentary organisations International organisations European Union institutions Member-states Climate Change as a political issue 1973/4 - 1:st oil crisis 1979 – Three Mile Island 1986 - Chernobyl 1987 – Our Common Future 1988 – Summer heat 1989 – International campaigns 1990 – Energy for a New Century 1992 – Biofuels as a solution “Modern biofuel liquids have their own special hazards. Apart from competing with food crops for good agricultural land, their production generates large quantities of organic waste effluent, which if not used as a fertilizer can cause serious water pollution.” “All these and many other problems, both large and small, will increase as renewable energy systems are developed.” (Our Common Future, 1987) “But what are the facts? Firstly, biofuel production and consumption capacities are limited. It will take years, decades and perhaps even longer for biofuels to achieve a 5% market share, which is the very most it can be assumed they will achieve. This is too low a market share to pose a threat to anyone.” (Christiane Scrivener, 1992) 2000 – Higher oil price The increase of crude oil prices in 2000 came as a surprise for most observers. In September 2000 oil prices reached a 10-year high. Over night, energy policy and the subject of security of oil supplies have been put back on the political agenda. (Loyola de Palacio) 2005 – Hurricanes and floods 2007 - Biofuels as a savior – the third industrial revolution "Properly managed, biofuels have the potential to offer important benefits: they can help to reinforce energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They also provide an important opportunity for industrial development, innovation and employment promotion. We need to develop an EU biofuels policy which will meet our objectives of enhancing security of supply and tackling climate change, while ensuring sustainable development." Biofuels as a threat 2007-2008 – Food crisis Sustainable Biofuels Fabian Society Club of Rome COM+ IUCN World Resources Institute Ashok Khosla Ashok Khosla Anders Wijkman Legislation Världsbanken GEF UNEP GLOBE International Pieter Winsemius Rockefeller Foundation European Climate Foundation Lord Deben Ian Johnson Lord Oxburgh International Philantropy Jules Kortenhorst Design to Win Anthony Burgmans GLOBEEurope Nationella parlamentariker Funding Anders Wijkman Maurice Strong Funding G8 Bo Ekman Jan Eliasson Johan Rockström Jules Kortenhorst Environmental Management Theories Maurice Strong London School of Economics Tällberg Foundation Pieter Winsemius Crispin Tickell Ian Johnson Member countries McKinsey & Co BEEGroup Dow Chemicals First Solar General Electric Holcim Procter & Gamble Rockwool Unilever Samarbeten GLOBE-EU Anders Wijkman LEAD International Prof. Schellnhuber Anders Wijkman Martin Rocholl Claude Turmes Mechtild Rothe Vittorio Prodi Caroline Lucas Ashok Khosla Biofuels Working Group Claude Turmes Anders Wijkman Crispin Tickell Maurice Strong Funding EUParliament Björn Stigsson R K Pachauri (TERI, IPCC) Satu Hassi Tony Juniper (FoE) Tomas Wyns (CAN) Jos Dings (T&E) Sanjev Kuumar (WWF) Frauke Thies (Greenpeace) Anders Wijkman (E) Claude Turmes (I) EUKommission en Ansvariga RES-direktivet ITRE – Turmes ENVI - Wijkman Opinions? E-NGO Martin Rocholl Tomas Wyns (CAN) Jos Dings (T&E) Networks International The Dutch Cramer Roundtable on Organisations commission Sustainable Palm Oil FAO Dutch Government Unilever GBEP Unilever WWF IFPRI AidEnvironment AidEnvironment OECD Cargill HSBC Bank REN 21 OxfamNovib IOI WorldWatch Institute Shell Oil OxfamNovib Världsbanken IUCN Rabobank WBCSD G8 WWF Sawit Watch Rabobank BothEnds GLOBE Greenpeace Solidaridad Global Forest Coalition Wetlands International Friends of the Earth Sumatran Orangutan Society Wetlands International ”NGO’s must get involved in helping to find the situations that work, and cooperate with industry in implementing them. The days when NGO’s could remain on the outside looking in – like theatre critics on opening night – are gone. Now, they must join the cast of the play in helping to put on an award-winning performance” (Björn Stigson, Advisor to Unilever, World Business Council on Sustainable Development) A web of actors Triggering events 1973 1:st Oil crisis European energy policy 1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear energy questioned 1986 Chernobyl Climate issue initiated 1988 Summer heat in US The EEC admits AGW. IPCC founded. 2000 Higher oil prices New energy package Start of biofuels policy process 2005 2008 Extreme weather Start of renewable Higher oil prices energy polcy process Global food crisis Discussion of Higher oil prices Sustainable Criterias in parliament Problems and solutions Problem •Climate Change •Oil shortage/higher prices Solution •Renewable Energy •Biofuels •European energy cooperation Problem •Rain forest destruction •Leakage of greenhouse gases •Food crisis Solution •International certification •International trade agreements •Global governance and surveillance 2012 - Biofuels revalued "For biofuels to help us combat climate change, we must use truly sustainable biofuels. We must invest in biofuels that achieve real emission cuts and do not compete with food. We are of course not closing down first generation biofuels, but we are sending a clear signal that future increases in biofuels must come from advanced biofuels. Everything else will be unsustainable."