Post by warriorwitch on Mar 3, 2007 8:44:36 GMT
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Leading polluters the United States, China and India on Friday announced a bid to increase global production and use of biofuels so fossil fuel dependence and greenhouse gas emissions can be cut.
But the International Biofuels Forum, which also includes Brazil, South Africa, and the European Commission, will not address biodiesel trade and tariff issues -- points of contention
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between major producers the United States and Brazil.
Brazil's U.N. ambassador, Antonio Patriota, told a news conference that his president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, plans to raise the issue of U.S. tariffs on ethanol imports when he meets with U.S. President George W. Bush next week in Brazil.
"Biofuels will be on the agenda, very much at the top of the agenda and I think ... bilateral trade in that context will be dealt with and we will indeed raise the issue of tariffs," Patriota said of Bush's visit.
The forum aims to create a world market to boost efficiency of production, distribution and use of biofuels through talks between producers and consumers. Brazil hopes to host a global biofuels conference in 2008.
Brazil is the top producer of ethanol from sugar cane, while the United States holds the same position for corn and together they make up 70 percent of the global market.
In December, the U.S. Congress renewed tariffs on ethanol imports of 54 cents a gallon until 2009, even though ethanol is far less expensive to produce from Brazilian sugar cane than from U.S. corn.
"What is going drive international growth of biofuels will not be removing a tariff in the United States," said Tom Shannon, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. "It will be expanding markets elsewhere."
"By working together we will be able to identify means and ways to help countries with agricultural potential to become major energy suppliers," he said at the news conference to launch the forum.
GROWING POPULARITY
Biofuels -- energy squeezed from all kinds of living matter, such as sugar, corn or rapeseed oil -- burn cleaner and are fast gaining popularity around the world amid high oil prices and a battle against global warming.
The United States is the world's top greenhouse gas emitter and accounts for about a quarter of the global total, ahead of China, Russia and India.
China's deputy U.N. ambassador, Liu Zhenmin, said Beijing needed to diversify its energy structure. China is expected to issue a blueprint for its biofuels industry this month that will kick-start many ethanol projects suspended since late last year following a surge in corn prices.
"China believes that the development and the sustainable use of biofuels is good for promoting social and economic development, it's good for improving the energy structure of the world by reducing fossil fuel dependence and diversifying energy sources," Liu said.
UNICA, the Brazilian association of sugar cane producers, estimates that ethanol accounts for less than 2 percent of the world's consumption of oil.
But the International Biofuels Forum, which also includes Brazil, South Africa, and the European Commission, will not address biodiesel trade and tariff issues -- points of contention
(Advertisement)
between major producers the United States and Brazil.
Brazil's U.N. ambassador, Antonio Patriota, told a news conference that his president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, plans to raise the issue of U.S. tariffs on ethanol imports when he meets with U.S. President George W. Bush next week in Brazil.
"Biofuels will be on the agenda, very much at the top of the agenda and I think ... bilateral trade in that context will be dealt with and we will indeed raise the issue of tariffs," Patriota said of Bush's visit.
The forum aims to create a world market to boost efficiency of production, distribution and use of biofuels through talks between producers and consumers. Brazil hopes to host a global biofuels conference in 2008.
Brazil is the top producer of ethanol from sugar cane, while the United States holds the same position for corn and together they make up 70 percent of the global market.
In December, the U.S. Congress renewed tariffs on ethanol imports of 54 cents a gallon until 2009, even though ethanol is far less expensive to produce from Brazilian sugar cane than from U.S. corn.
"What is going drive international growth of biofuels will not be removing a tariff in the United States," said Tom Shannon, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. "It will be expanding markets elsewhere."
"By working together we will be able to identify means and ways to help countries with agricultural potential to become major energy suppliers," he said at the news conference to launch the forum.
GROWING POPULARITY
Biofuels -- energy squeezed from all kinds of living matter, such as sugar, corn or rapeseed oil -- burn cleaner and are fast gaining popularity around the world amid high oil prices and a battle against global warming.
The United States is the world's top greenhouse gas emitter and accounts for about a quarter of the global total, ahead of China, Russia and India.
China's deputy U.N. ambassador, Liu Zhenmin, said Beijing needed to diversify its energy structure. China is expected to issue a blueprint for its biofuels industry this month that will kick-start many ethanol projects suspended since late last year following a surge in corn prices.
"China believes that the development and the sustainable use of biofuels is good for promoting social and economic development, it's good for improving the energy structure of the world by reducing fossil fuel dependence and diversifying energy sources," Liu said.
UNICA, the Brazilian association of sugar cane producers, estimates that ethanol accounts for less than 2 percent of the world's consumption of oil.