Biofuels: the next generation

Climate change has risen to the top of the political agenda in recent years. Growing awareness of this problem has also raised the profile of fuels made from biomass - ie biofuels. Following the example of Brazil, which has used bioethanol as a transport fuel for many years, other countries have stepped up their production of fuels from carbohydrate-rich crops, such as corn or sugar cane. These fuels were initially seen as 'carbon neutral' because regrowing the crops would absorb the same amount of carbon dioxide as was released when burning the fuel. In 2003 the European Union set a target of replacing 5.75 per cent of all transport fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) with biofuels by 2010.