Brussels, 2 March 2009 – eBIO together with industry associations from Canada and the United States founded the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance.
The new Alliance will actively promote policies that advance global investment in biofuels to create urgently needed “green jobs” while at the same ;me reducing harmful Green House Gas emissions.
“We believe that all countries should harness the significant economic, environmental and social benefits of biofuels production. And that is why we created the GRFA to support biofuels friendly policies around the globe,” Robert Vierhout, Secretary‐General of eBIO announced. “The enormous opportunities that exist today in developing countries have been overlooked for too long. When 38 of the 47 poorest countries on earth rely on crude oil imports for energy something has to change,” Vierhout said.
All oil‐importing na;ons remain extremely vulnerable to the highly concentrated petroleum economy and biofuels can reduce this vulnerability while providing increased employment and economic value of producing feed and fuel domes;cally. This vulnerability was evidenced by last year’s run
up in oil prices that wiped out all of the benefits of debt relief over night for most African nations.
The good news is that according to the World Bank biofuels industries require about 100 times more workers per unit of energy produced than the
fossil fuel industry. The ethanol industry is credited with providing more than 200,000 jobs in the United States and half a million direct jobs in Brazil alone. This represents an enormous opportunity for developing countries.
In that regard, the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is calling on the World Bank to make investments in developing countries’ biofuels infrastructure a
top priority.
The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is a non‐profit organization dedicated to promoting biofuels friendly policies internationally. Alliance members represent over 60% of the global biofuels production from 29 countries.
Through the development of new technologies and best practices, the Alliance members are commi^ed to producing renewable fuels with the smallest possible ecological footprint.
For additional information contact:
Robert Vierhout
eBIO Secretary General at vierhout@ebio.org,
Phone: +32 2 657 66 79 or +32 475 49 26 32 (mobile)
For informa(on on the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance contact:
Bliss Baker
Phone: +1‐416‐847‐6497
E‐mail: info@globalrfa.org
www.globalrfa.org
eBIO is a non‐profit European industry associa(on under Belgium law. It is fostering
bioethanol fuel produc(on and use in the EU as well as advoca(ng the proper legal and regulatory framework. eBIO was founded in May 2005 represen(ng the majority of EU bioethanol fuel produc(on and has 60 members.