OKQ8 was the first oil company in Europe to plan to launch palm
oil biodiesel. Prior to their decision to abandon it, Greenpeace
activists spent two days at OKQ8?s headquarters, hanging a seventy
square metre banner depicting an orangutan being shot by a petrol
pump, to highlight the true face of palm oil.
"OKQ8 has shown that they understand the problems of the
exploding palm oil market for biofuels, now politicians must close
the door to false climate solutions for good" said Anders Hellberg
from Greenpeace in Sweden. "An important step is to remove
subsidies for palm oil - if these are removed then oil companies
will no longer have an economic incentive to invest in palm
oil."
Greenpeace has set up a 'Forest Defenders Camp' in Indonesia,
one of the countries most under threat from palm oil production.
Volunteers at the camp have been working with local communities to
dam peatland canals, to prevent them from drying out and releasing
CO2, and to prevent palm oil companies from illegally burning
them.
Frode Pleym, Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Nordic and a
volunteer at the Forest Defenders Camp said: "Over the last two
weeks I have witnessed and documented rainforest being cut down,
drained and burnt for the sake of oil palm plantations. There is
quite simply no such thing as sustainable palm oil for biodiesel
and OKQ8?s statement is therefore very important."
Greenpeace has set up the Forest Defenders Camp in the run up to
the UN climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia this December
where governments are expected to commit to agree a framework for
the next two years of negotiations on greenhouse gas emissions
under the Kyoto Protocol.
The deforestation rates in Indonesia are the fastest among the
world's major forest nations. According to recent estimates,
Indonesia has the third largest greenhouse gas emissions after the
United States and China, mainly due to the destruction of peatland
forests.
Greenpeace welcomes the decision by Swedish petrol giant OKQ8 to
abandon plans to use palm oil in their new biodiesel Eco20. The
announcement comes after prolonged campaigning by Greenpeace and
other environmental groups against palm oil production, which
destroys native rainforest, often by burning, to make way for
massive palm plantations.
OKQ8 was the first oil company in Europe to plan to launch palm
oil biodiesel. Prior to their decision to abandon it, Greenpeace
activists spent two days at OKQ8?s headquarters, hanging a seventy
square metre banner depicting an orangutan being shot by a petrol
pump, to highlight the true face of palm oil.
"OKQ8 has shown that they understand the problems of the
exploding palm oil market for biofuels, now politicians must close
the door to false climate solutions for good" said Anders Hellberg
from Greenpeace in Sweden. "An important step is to remove
subsidies for palm oil - if these are removed then oil companies
will no longer have an economic incentive to invest in palm
oil."
Greenpeace has set up a 'Forest Defenders Camp' in Indonesia,
one of the countries most under threat from palm oil production.
Volunteers at the camp have been working with local communities to
dam peatland canals, to prevent them from drying out and releasing
CO2, and to prevent palm oil companies from illegally burning
them.
Frode Pleym, Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Nordic and a
volunteer at the Forest Defenders Camp said: "Over the last two
weeks I have witnessed and documented rainforest being cut down,
drained and burnt for the sake of oil palm plantations. There is
quite simply no such thing as sustainable palm oil for biodiesel
and OKQ8?s statement is therefore very important."
Greenpeace has set up the Forest Defenders Camp in the run up to
the UN climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia this December
where governments are expected to commit to agree a framework for
the next two years of negotiations on greenhouse gas emissions
under the Kyoto Protocol.
The deforestation rates in Indonesia are the fastest among the
world's major forest nations. According to recent estimates,
Indonesia has the third largest greenhouse gas emissions after the
United States and China, mainly due to the destruction of peatland
forests.
ENDS
Other contacts: Kathleen McCaughey, Palm oil campaigner Greenpeace Nordic, tel. +46 702 35 08 86Suzette Jackson, Greenpeace International communications (at the Forest Defenders Camp) +62 813 1582 9513
Exp. contact date: 2007-10-31 00:00:00