Renewable energy
Unilever supports initiatives to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy with the aim of combating climate change and eventually meeting the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol, thereby also reducing dependency on fossil fuels.
Unilever supports policies which accelerate the exploitation of cost-effective sustainable sources for renewable energy. The focus and emphasis of policymakers should be on the most cost-effective alternatives for efficient energy use and effective emission reductions. In addition, it will be important to be mindful of negative unintended consequences that could arise in the pursuit of greenhouse gas reduction strategies. One such risk is the potential impact of biomass energy programmes and biofuel targets in particular on food security and sustainable agriculture.
Biofuels
Biofuels such as bio-diesel and bio-ethanol can be divided into first generation and second generation biofuels. Currently, only first generation biofuels are on the market. Second generation biofuels are not yet commercially available. First generation biofuels are produced from feedstocks like vegetable oils, starch ethanol or sugar ethanol.
Unilever considers that first generation biofuels are neither environmentally efficient nor cost-effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many studies have shown that several first generation bio-fuels have a poor performance with regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependency on fossil fuels. In fact, a negative CO2 balance occurs if forests or grasslands are replaced by crops which emit larger amounts of captured CO2 in their production.
In addition, there are concerns about the impact of the promotion of biofuels on the availability and sustainability of a number of raw materials that the demand for biomass could create. If healthy vegetable oils such as Canola oil are used in biofuels, these could become in short supply, driving consumers to animal fats – and the associated increased risk of heart disease and high cholesterol.
The development of high performance bio-energy technologies, including second generation biofuels with an efficient carbon and energy balance are required. The mainstream market introduction of second generation biofuels would provide a strong incentive for the application of renewable energy technologies while minimising the negative repercussions on food markets and food security.
Unilever believes there is a strong case for government and business investment into new technologies and further research on the sustainable use of biomass. See our Promoting Sustainable Biofuels brochure for more information (download available in related links).
