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) WestLB im Goldrausch

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
German version

Posted on 11:19 AM in Indonesia, Mining, Publications, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: mining, Germany, Indonesia, protest action, Sulawesi, environment and climate, economy and business

Joint letter on UPM-Kymenne’s cooperation with APRIL

December 20th, 2006

To:
Jussi Pesonen
President & CEO
UPM-Kymmene Oyj                                               

Dear Jussi Pesonen,

We, the undersigned citizens’ organisations, are deeply concerned about UPM-Kymmene’s on-going supplying of pulp from Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL). APRIL’s operations in Riau Province, Indonesia, are causing irreplaceable destruction of nature and social problems.

UPM has been involved with APRIL nearly ten years. During this time main problems of APRIL’s operations — supplying fibre from natural forests, large-scale conversion of rainforests for pulp ... read more

Posted on 04:14 AM in Economy, Labor & Corruption, Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: biodiversity, Indonesia, carbon, land rights, plantations, rain forest destruction, Sumatra, environment and climate, economy and business

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

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
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!

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
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

(Deutsch) Indonesien ist der größte Palmölproduzent der Erde

Sorry, this entry is not available in English.
German version

Posted on 09:04 PM in Agro Fuels, Economy, Labor & Corruption, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate, Watch Indonesia! in the Media
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), labour, food security, Indonesia, Kalimantan / Borneo, carbon, land rights, military, palm oil, plantations, rain forest destruction, security sector, Sumatra, economy and business

South-East Asia’s Peat Fires and Global Warming

November 10th, 2006

-for immediate release-

Joint Press Release by Ecological Internet, Biofuelwatch, Watch Indonesia! and Save the Rainforest (Germany)

At Nairobi, governments are debating the future of the Kyoto Protocol and action to prevent the most serious impacts of climate change. So far, they appear to have ignored to address one of the greatest single sources of carbon emissions: the destruction of South-east Asia’s peatlands and forests. The annual emissions from annual peat and forest fires ... read more

Posted on 12:46 PM in Disasters, Joint Press Releases & Statements, Indonesia, Publications, Rainforest, Environment & Climate
Tags: Indonesia, carbon, plantations, rain forest destruction, environment and climate