74 percent of Canadians support biofuels mandate, poll says

May 16, 2008

In Canada, the Renewable Fuels Association said that a poll of Canadians found 74 percent in support of biofuels mandates contained in the biofuels bill now in front of the Canadian Senate. The poll also found that 67 percent of Canadian support increasing the mandates to 10 percent for ethanol and 5 percent for biodiesel.

In Canada, the Liberal Party’s environmental spokesman said that the party would support the Biofuels Bill, but the international development spokesman said that internal negotiations were still proceeding. Liberal Party support is essential for the Bill to pass the Canadian Senate. The Bill passed in the House of Commons last week, with provisions for a five percent biofuels minimum and $2.2 billion in biofuels development support. Negotiations are reported to surround assurances that biofuels will not be produced from corn.

Last week, the House of Commons approved a procedural vote supporting a five percent biofuels mandate for ethanol commencing in 2010 and a B2 biodiesel mandate for 2012. The bill faces a final vote in the House and will require passage in the opposition-dominated Senate. The bill will create a market of 750 Mgy of ethanol and 158 Mgy for biodiesel.

The New Democratic Party leadership has proposed an amendment to the Canadian biofuels legislation that would require a study on ethanol and food scarcity. The amendment is proposed to Bill C-33, itself an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act, that would require 5 percent of all fuel to come from biofuels by 2010. The legislation is supported by the Conservative and Liberal parties.