International biofuel analysis could help UK carbon accounting

Biofuel analysis on an international scale could help to ensure that the UK's carbon emissions figures are accurate.

The UK's chief environmental scientist, Dr Robert Watson, recently told the BBC that, by ignoring carbon embedded in imported products, the official statistics published by British authorities underestimate the true level of emissions created by the country's activities.

Now Friends of the Earth suggests that international collaboration to reduce non-renewable technologies used overseas could help to ensure that the net shift in UK carbon emissions is downward.

Comprehensive biofuel analysis is one possible solution, by allowing clean technologies to be used in production and accurately accounted for in the figures.

Meanwhile, the campaign group has expressed concern about the use of wheat in biofuel production, following droughts in Russia and a second consecutive annual freeze on exports of the grain from the country.

Friends of the Earth argues in favour of a focus on "planet-friendly farming" to make sure that the global food supply remains a priority.