Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of importing biofuels for public transport from Saudi Arabia on the environment.

The UK’s main scheme for supporting the use of low carbon fuels (LCF), such as biofuels, in surface transport is the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO delivers greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings by mandating the supply of renewable and LCF for use in UK transport, including relevant public transport modes such as buses and diesel trains.

The market for LCF is global and allows suppliers to meet their obligation with LCF from countries such as Saudi Arabia, providing it meets strict sustainability criteria. LCFs must deliver GHG savings relative to fossil fuels of at least 55 to 65%, depending on when the production installation started operating, to be eligible. Suppliers must provide independent third-party verification that the biofuel meets these criteria.