The November 2011 edition of AEFJN's Forum for Action is now online. It contains articles on the ethical responsibility of the Church on the climate issue, on the clean up of the Ogoniland oil spills, which will take decades, on the spread of Libyan arms in the Sahel, on the production of medicines in Africa and on the EU's attempt to force African countries to sign EPAs.
The national election campaign officially started the 28th October in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), exactly one month ahead of historic presidential and legislative elections, scheduled for November 28 2011. 41 humanitarian and human rights organizations, among them AEFJN, have expressed concern about the high political tension and deteriorating security situation. They have called upon all Congolese and international actors involved to take urgent measures to prevent electoral violence, better protect civilians and ensure credible, free and fair elections.BIOFUELS & LAND in EU Policy
September 2010 - The impacts of biofuels on land grabbing and land use are at the agenda.
1. Member States of the European Union
The majority of Member States intend not beyond the mandatory target of 10% biofuels in transport by 2020. This is because of many recent reports on the impacts of biofuels on land publishing contradictory findings. UK government climate advisors said Britain should cut its target for biofuels use by 2020 so that tropical forests are not cut down to make way for biofuel crops. Belgium and Poland are the last countries where AEFJN antenna that have so far not submitted their National Action Plan to the EC. DG ENergy might start legal action.
2. EC public consultation on the ILUC factor [1]
The EC is required, by the end of 2010, to submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council. It is announced for the Council of Energy 2/12/2010. This report will review the impact of indirect land use change on greenhouse gas emissions of biofuels and address ways to minimise that impact. The EC proposals will be based on studies commissioned and a public consultation (July 31 to October 30, 2010). More details: see: http://www.aefjn.org/index.php/info-345/articles/land-biofuels-ec-launches-a-public-consultation.html
Most reports conclude that the factor ILUC must be taken into account because it is part of the biofuels production chain and has an impact on the environment and biodiversity.
3. Action AEFJN
AEFJN launches action among European branches from Member States.
Objectives:
1. call to integrate ILUC factor in the sustainability criteria for biofuels
2. draw attention on land impacts in Africa and the nonsense of subsidizing biofuels that are not sustainable and threaten the lives of Africans.
[1] We talk about 'Indirect Land Use Change' (ILUC) when agricultural land as food crops are displaced to grow fuel feedstocks.