Tell Nick Clegg to Keep Tar Sands Out of Europe
FollowSo Nick Clegg wants to know what you think about his environmental record. Frankly it’s not much! But in the next few months he has a chance to stand up to the Canadian lobbying offensive and support the Fuel Quality Directive.
Image c/o People & Planet
During that time we will be sending a clear message to Nick to adopt the Fuel Quality Directive. While we’re working on our plots and schemes, it would be great to make sure that he knows that we draw a line in the sand when it comes to relying on the world’s filthiest fuel for our energy future.
Here’s some text that might help you out with the ins and outs of the directive. Feel free to add your own 2 pence.
What area of environmental policy do you think the government is performing worst on?
The Canadian government has been working closely with the Conservatives in the UK Coalition Government to undermine the EU Fuel Quality Directive. We need to see leadership from the Liberal Democrats to stand up to the empty threats from Canada to take the EU to the World Trade Organisation over this legislation, the misleading science and the claims that Canadian tar sands are a clean, ethical and viable part of our future energy mix.
The EU’s Fuel Quality Directive contributes to the binding EU reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe by setting a legal target to reduce GHG emissions from transport fuels used in the EU by 6% by 2020. The detailed measures to implement this EU law must therefore take account of the higher GHG emissions of transport fuels derived from tar sands, and control their EU imports.
The production of synthetic crude oil from tar sands emits on average 3 times more GHG emissions than conventional oil production. From a well to wheel perspective, the resulting fuels emit 18% to 49% more GHGs compared to the EU average for petrol. If fuels derived from tar sands feedstock were to be treated the same as petrol and diesel within the Fuel Quality Directive, or recognised as having only marginally increased GHG emissions, future imports of these high carbon fuels could jeopardise the EU target to reduce GHG emissions in transport fuels.
The Liberal Democrats must ensure the Fuel Quality Directive achieves its goals of “encouraging the use of lower GHG intensity fuels” and “reducing GHG emissions from fossil fuel pathways” by ensuring the implementing provisions of Article 7a which classify fuels derived from tar sands feedstock as having at least 23% greater GHG emissions than those from conventional crude oil, and that they are allocated a ‘default value’ of at least 107 gCO2eq/MJ as soon as possible.
The Canadian government’s lobbying against the Fuel Quality Directive must not be allowed to water down or delay this important directive anymore!
Get in touch if you want to get more involved with keeping the tar sands out of Europe!
5 Responses to “Tell Nick Clegg to Keep Tar Sands Out of Europe”
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The EU’s Fuel Quality Directive contributes to the binding EU reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe by setting a legal target to reduce GHG emissions from transport fuels used in the EU by 6% by 2020. The detailed measures to implement this EU law must therefore take account of the higher GHG emissions of transport fuels derived from tar sands, and control their EU imports.
The production of synthetic crude oil from tar sands emits on average 3 times more GHG emissions than conventional oil production. From a well to wheel perspective, the resulting fuels emit 18% to 49% more GHGs compared to the EU average for petrol. If fuels derived from tar sands feedstock were to be treated the same as petrol and diesel within the Fuel Quality Directive, or recognised as having only marginally increased GHG emissions, future imports of these high carbon fuels could jeopardise the EU target to reduce GHG emissions in transport fuels.
The Liberal Democrat government must ensure the Fuel Quality Directive achieves its goals of “encouraging the use of lower GHG intensity fuels” and “reducing GHG emissions from fossil fuel pathways” by ensuring the implementing provisions of Article 7a which classify fuels derived from tar sands feedstock as having at least 25% greater GHG emissions than those from conventional crude oil, and that they are allocated a ‘default value’ of at least 107 gCO2eq/MJ as soon as possible.
What area of environmental policy do you think the government is performing worst on?
The Canadian government has been working closely with the UK Conservative government to undermine the EU directive. We need to see leadership from the Liberal Democrats to stand up to the empty WTO action threats from Canada, the misleading science and the claims that Canadian tar sands are a clean, ethical and viable part of our future energy mix.
The EU’s Fuel Quality Directive contributes to the binding EU reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Europe by setting a legal target to reduce GHG emissions from transport fuels used in the EU by 6% by 2020. The detailed measures to implement this EU law must therefore take account of the higher GHG emissions of transport fuels derived from tar sands, and control their EU imports.
The production of synthetic crude oil from tar sands emits on average 3 times more GHG emissions than conventional oil production. From a well to wheel perspective, the resulting fuels emit 18% to 49% more GHGs compared to the EU average for petrol. If fuels derived from tar sands feedstock were to be treated the same as petrol and diesel within the Fuel Quality Directive, or recognised as having only marginally increased GHG emissions, future imports of these high carbon fuels could jeopardise the EU target to reduce GHG emissions in transport fuels.
The Liberal Democrats must ensure the Fuel Quality Directive achieves its goals of “encouraging the use of lower GHG intensity fuels” and “reducing GHG emissions from fossil fuel pathways” by ensuring the implementing provisions of Article 7a which classify fuels derived from tar sands feedstock as having at least 23% greater GHG emissions than those from conventional crude oil, and that they are allocated a ‘default value’ of at least 107 gCO2eq/MJ as soon as possible.
The Canadian government’s lobbying against the Fuel Quality Directive must not be allowed to water down or delay this important directive anymore!
Hello,
Please keep tar sands out of Europe.
You already know the arguments for this position.
Best regards,
Lawrence McGrath
NO TAR SANDS!
Hello lovely people,
It is really great that you are commenting here, it is good to have the feedback of people responding, but we hope that you’re also commenting directly to Nick Clegg! (which you can do via the first link in this post)
He needs to hear what you have to say! (and I’m not sure he checks this page very often…)
Keep the Tar Sands out of Europe!