|
|
| ||||||
<<< press your browser’s back button to go back to list of candidates RepsolNominated for distorting the EU’s research agenda on agrofuels; ensuring that outcomes fit narrow commercial interests, at the expense of genuine measures to combat climate change.
Repsol is a leading oil corporation. Repsol’s Luis Cabra, Director of Technology, chairs the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBFTP), an industry-dominated advisory group promoted by DG Research and partly funded by the Commission. The Commission has entrusted the group to elaborate the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) on agrofuels which will identify key research areas (and allocating funds) for the next 20 years. In September 2007 a draft SRA, completed by Repsol and other EBFTP members was made public. This draft proposed an astonishing and ambitious target for 25% of road transport fuel to be agrofuels by 2030. The Platform describes itself (and therefore the SRA) as a multistakeholder effort bringing together “the biofuels community”. Yet despite rhetoric about open participation, membership has been stitched up from the start. For example, members of the Platform’s steering committee were chosen by the Chair (fromVolvo) and the vice-Chairs of BIOFRAC (the predecessor of the Platform, dominated by oil, car and biotech companies). Unsurprisingly, the result is an organisation full of industry representatives and research centres with close ties to industry. There is not a single citizen organisation represented. As for the 5 working groups, there are only 2 NGO representatives out of some 125 members. Importantly, Repsol and the other corporations in the EBFTP have a commercial interest in the development of agrofuels in the EU, and they are now designing this policy agenda. The impacts of their ‘advice’ through the EBFTP are far-reaching and already evident. For example, the EU has already proposed a binding target of 10% use of agrofuels in all road transport fuel by 2020. This pays no attention to concerns that agrofuels threaten to exacerbate the problem of climate change and create a range of new insecurities and devastation. Vote for Repsol and help unmask the corporate takeover of public research! Supporting documentsThe EU’s agrofuel folly: policy capture by corporate interests, Briefing paper, Corporate Europe Observatory, June 2007 Comments156 Paul Johan de Graauw 15 December 2007: De la poudre aux yeux de nous tous et beaucoups de “blé” dans les poches de certains gros céréaliculteurs ! Démystifions cette affaire ! 155 Bernie Rees 14 December 2007: Who appointed Louis Cabra in the first place? Didn’t they know what would happen? Well, hypocrisy is not a sin, but environmental degradation should be a capital offence. Doing nothing lets the selfish and the greedy benefit now, but later everyone loses. Thank you for this website. 151 Aitor Galan 13 December 2007: Claro, ahora no es solo posible sino necesario el uso de necrofuels, pero sigue estando prohibido merzclar aceites vegetales reciclados en el Diesel para circular. El Transporte en España es un monopolio… 142 Jean-Louis 7 December 2007: Normal, ce sont les habitudes de Repsol connue aussi pour ses méthodes de gestion humaine en France. 140 Jarguel Claudine 7 December 2007: Il faut que tous politiques dénoncent et fassent cesser ces projets d’agrocarburants qui ne feraient qu’accélérer le processus de catastrophe écologique. qui nous guette. 123 Lisembard Daniel 3 December 2007: contre l’arnaque du siècle ventant les agrocarburants (en fait nécrocarburants)comme solution écologique, votons repsol ! 110 Meta Retzlaff 27 November 2007: Verachten das Antzlitz der Erde,lachen über Nachhaltigkeit,feiern hungernde Menschen 109 Kay Wagland 27 November 2007: We say ‘listen to the science – not commercial interests’, but how can we do that if corporations are taking over and distorting research? Agrofuels could be the nail in the coffin of climate change, particularly if sourced from tropical plantation. EU policy now needs a complete rethink. 107 Marie-Hélène Chambrette 27 November 2007: l’indépendance de la recherche publique -ainsi que les universités!!!- par rapport aux intérêts privés me parait essentielle dans tous les domaines 103 erwin greiler 26 November 2007: gentechnik ole!!! 99 Nora 26 November 2007: j’hésitais entre donner mon vote à BMW et al. ou à Repsol, mais à la fin je trouve le lobby de Repsol le plus révoltant, car sa perversité est qu’ils soutiennent aussi que les biocarburants sont une solution écologique, c’est qui est d’une fausseté évidente 86 Karl Otto Henseling 17 November 2007: Hier will ein Dinosaurier des fossilen Zeitalters, die übermechanisierte und chemisierte Landwirtschaft, einem anderen, der Autoindustrie, Überlebenshilfe leisten – auf Kosten von Mensch und Umwelt. 76 Ralf Huber 12 November 2007: Palmoel, Ethanol aus Zuckerrohr, Genraps,… 66 Alexander Liedke 10 November 2007: das hat schlimme Konsequenzen für die weitere Entwicklung des Klimas! Das Leben zukünftiger Generationen vor wirtschaftlichen Interessen. 56 Wolfgang Schreiber 1 November 2007: Danke für diesen wertvollen Beitrag zur Demaskierung unserer Wirtschaftsbosse | ||||||
|
The EU lobby awards are organised by Corporate Europe Observatory, Friends of the Earth Europe, LobbyControl and Spinwatch. This site is developed by easyMIND. |