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Saturday, May 10, 2008

Government Minister does not care about Tesco's abuse of the environement


Dear David,

Many thanks for raising my question in parliament on biofuels. The answer you got from Jim Fitzpatrick was the predictable rubbish that allows companies like Tesco to continue to take shelter under ill conceived legislation. Jim Fitzpatrick has not answered the fundamental question that you asked which is "what steps will be taken against against those producers, wholesalers and retailers which do not meet these requirements."

I would appreciate if you could press the matter further with the DoT to clarify their position. It is of interest that the even the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil cannot agree on what constitutes sustainable Palm Oil. Their web site proudly shows a huge Palm Oil Plantation, on land that would once have been a biodiverse tropical rainforest, suggesting that sustainability and biofuels do not go together.

Tesco had previously stated in correspondence with me that their biofuel supplies are auditable and these can be provided on request. However, they have not issued these. I would appreciate that you ask the DoT what audit documentation they have requested from major suppliers of biofuels to ensure that biofuels being sold are actually coming from sustainable sources and not leading to further deforestation or destruction of local environments.

A copy of this letter will also be sent to Terry Leahy

Regards,
Kevin Lister

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