Sustainability refers to the ability of a process to be continued indefinitely without damaging or degrading the environment on which it depends. The RFA is committed to maximising the percentage of biofuels used to meet obligations under the RTFO that can be shown to have been produced in a sustainable manner.
The RFA will be collecting information from companies on the biofuels they use, including the type of fuel supplied (e.g. bioethanol or biodiesel), the crop (or feedstock) from which the fuel has been derived (e.g. sugar cane or palm oil) and the country of origin of the crop. The RFA will also collect information on any appropriate social or environmental standards met in growing the feedstock, with the medium term aim of encouraging all biofuel suppliers to source only biofuels which meet the RTFO Sustainable Biofuel Meta-Standard. This ‘meta-standard' includes criteria for monitoring land use change, biodiversity conservation, soil conservation, water use and air quality, in addition to social minimum standards including respect for workers rights. The RTFO meta-standard is a higher standard than demonstrated by most existing sustainability assurance schemes, and it is hoped that over time existing schemes will be enhanced to be fully consistent with this standard. Thirdly, the RFA will collect data on the greenhouse gas emissions savings provided by use of the biofuels, taking into account any direct land-use changes. By collating this information the RFA will be able to report to parliament and the public on the success of the RTFO in encouraging the supply of sustainable and environmentally beneficial biofuels, thereby helping to inform the debate on the future of UK biofuels policy.
The RFA will also be undertaking research into the overall effects of biofuels. It will study biofuels' direct and indirect implications in areas including food prices, land use and greenhouse gas savings, and look to continue to develop effective and practical sustainability criteria and contribute to an increasingly beneficial utilisation of biofuels in meeting future UK energy needs.