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
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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
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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
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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."