June 11, 2018

Consumer group SumOfUs demands elimination of palm oil based biodiesel fuel in Europe

A new petition from SumOfUs, an international consumer group, is calling on the European Union and all 28 energy ministers, who are meeting in Brussels today, to stop subsidizing the use of palm oil for biodiesel. The group argues that Europe’s consumption of palm oil is destroying the rain forest in Indonesia and Malaysia, pushing endangered species to extinction and polluting the environment at an alarming rate. The petition has been signed by nearly 70,000 people.

View the petition here: https://actions.sumofus.org/a/the-eu-must-stop-subsidising-palm-oil-biofuels/?source=fwd

“Europe has a palm oil problem, and it’s not about snacks or cosmetics, it’s the fuel we burn to power our cars,”said Fatah Sadaoui, Campaign Manager at SumOfUs. “The reality is that half of the palm oil imported to Europe is transformed into biodiesel. Companies like Total, Shell, and BP, who use palm oil in their diesel fuel, don’t want us to know that the real cost of cheap palm oil is massive deforestation, starving orangutans, and worker abuse. But we’re not having it.”

“Ten years ago, the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) was enacted to promote alternative transport fuels that reduce greenhouse gases as an alternative to fossil fuels. Today the law has actually increased, not reduced, emissions from transport fuels. A major reason for this is the importing of unsustainable bio-fuels like palm oil.

“If Europe were to end support for palm oil biodiesel, this would send a powerful signal to markets around the world by reducing the demand for palm oil, and force palm oil producing countries to get serious about ending deforestation. Today, energy ministers of all 28 member states are meeting in Brussels to agree on a common position on palm oil imports for bio-fuels. We hope that this petition will convince them Europeans are sick of being tricked into buying destructive palm oil at the gas pump.”

SumOfUs has garnered hundreds of thousands of petition signatures targeting companies such Pepsico, Burger King and Nestle over their use and sourcing of palm oil.

View the petition targeting Pepsico here: https://actions.sumofus.org/a/crystal-clear-pepsi

View SumOfUs’ petition targeting Nestle here: https://actions.sumofus.org/a/tell-nestle-to-cut-ties-with-palm-oil-offender-repsa