WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A launch and panel presentation addressing the scale of government support to biofuels in the United States, the European Union, and other OECD countries
Biofuels production and consumption has surged dramatically over a short period of time -- globally, production of both ethanol and biodiesel has grown at double-digit rates in each of the last four years. A host of emerging concerns have arisen as a result, including impacts on food supplies, the environment, and economies.
While increasing attention has been paid to the potentially negative consequences resulting from the biofuels boom, there has been relatively little focus on the forces driving the expansion. It is critical to understand that the rapid growth of the biofuels industry has not been solely in response to market forces; rather, government policies, such as subsidies and mandated use of biofuels, have been the key driving factors. A series of reports by the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Global Subsidies Initiative reveal the scale and shape of that government support in the United States, the European Union, and other selected OECD countries. Copies of these reports can be downloaded from the GSI's website, http://www.globalsubsidies.org/.
A launch event, hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, will see the release of the latest report in this series, the study on U.S. government support for biofuels in the U.S.: "Biofuels: At What Cost? Government Support for Ethanol and Biodiesel in the United States - 2007 Update." This report, which updates the GSI's report issued last October, details the extent of the current government support to biofuels in the United States, and analyzes the impact of forthcoming legislation, namely the Energy and Farm Bills.
Where?
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
1700 18 Street, NW; Washington, D.C. 20009
When?
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Lunch will be served at 12:00 p.m.
Speakers:
Ronald Steenblik
Director of Research,
Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the
International Institute for Sustainable Development, Geneva
Doug Koplow
Founder, Earth Track
Cambridge, MA
Jean-Philippe Denruyter
WWF Global Bioenergy Coordinator
Climate Change & Energy Policy Officer
WWF European Policy Office (EPO), Brussels
Tim Searchinger
Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund
Washington, D.C.
Moderator:
Ann Tutwiler
Managing Director for Trade and Development,
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
RSVP: Please contact Ulrike Leis at (202) 745 6667 or at
uleis@gmfus.org.
The above-mentioned series is available online at http://www.globalsubsidies.org/
"Biofuels: At What Cost? Government Support for Ethanol and Biodiesel in the United States - 2007 Update" is available under embargo upon request. Please contact: Javed Ahmad at jahmad@iisd.org.
International Institute for Sustainable Development
