NZ switches to biofuel in petrol from 2012
New Zealand is setting a target for the use of biofuel in petrol from 2012 in an effort curb carbon emissions and boost energy efficiency.
Prime Minister
Helen Clark told the opening parliamentary session for 2007 that
the NZ government would require 3.4% of oil companies’ total annual petrol and
diesel sales to be of biofuel.
New Zealand currently does not
commercially produce biofuel. Environmental minister David Parker said most of
the biofuel to be sold in the country would be produced domestically.
In
December 2005, the New Zealand government scrapped plans to introduce a carbon
tax from 2007 after failing to muster enough political support.
Under the
1997 Kyoto protocol, which came into force in 2005,
developed countries must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by about 5% from
1990 levels on average within the first commitment period of 2008-12.
