New Zealand sustainable biofuels bills heads for passage; no food crops, habitat destruction

In New Zealand,Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said that five companies have taken advantage of a three-year biodiesel grant fund, and said that the application flow for the grants showed that the biodiesel industry in New Zealand was “in a strong state”.

Meanwhile, a Green Party bill that establishes sustainability standards for biofuels production passed its first reading in the national Parliament. The bill would eliminate biofuels made from food crops or made from materials that led to the destruction of animal habitats. The bill, if passed into law, would take effect in 2010.

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