Abstract
The report on ‘Biofuels: Ethical Issues’ from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics established six ethical principles and a series of recommendations for biofuel policies. Set within the context of this report, which was published in 2011, recent developments with ethical issues associated with biofuels policy are reviewed. In particular, attention is focused on EC biofuel policy, contained in the so-called Renewable Energy Directive. The outcomes of monitoring activities and proposed amendments to this Directive are summarized. These are contrasted with studies and reports that challenge the promotion of biofuels by pointing to negative ethical impacts including threats to food supplies and prices, implications from indirect land-use change, and social and environmental consequences for developing countries that supply biofuels.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.