Greens: Obligation is misguided

Forcing 2.5 per cent of all petrol and diesel served at Britain's pumps to be biofuels is "misguided and irresponsible", the Green party says.

Its leader Caroline Lucas has attacked the renewable transport fuel obligation (RTFO) because of "overwhelming evidence" that biofuels are "seriously hampering" initiatives to reduce the impact of climate change.

She said it "almost beggars belief" that the government is not doing more to increase vehicle efficiency or encourage a "modal shift" to more public transport use.

And she attacked Britain's main opposition parties for their allegedly weak attacks on the issue, adding: "It was left to the Greens in the European parliament to vote consistently for stricter EU legislation on limiting vehicle emissions, and at our autumn conference last year, we became the first political party to call for a moratorium on agrofuels within the EU."