The government’s bill that will require biofuel in the Canadian vehicle fuel supply by 2010 is back in the House of Commons for final approval after the Commons agriculture committee approved it last week.
The majority of the witnesses invited to the committee supported the proposal that five percent of gasoline be ethanol by 2010 and two percent of diesel be biodiesel by 2012.
Many said the mandate lacked ambition and should be made more aggressive.
The committee, supportive of the ethanol industry development, amended the bill to insist that a “comprehensive review of the environmental and economic aspects of biofuel production in Canada” must be done within a year of the bill’s passage into law and every year after.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers commit to enhancing competitiveness
Canadian ag ministers said they want to ensure farmers, ranchers and processors are competitive through ongoing regulatory reform and business risk management programs that work.
Bill C-33 now must receive third and final reading in the Commons before being sent to the Senate. With a crowded legislative agenda this spring, it is unclear how quickly the legislation will be called for debate.
It has been supported by most agricultural lobby groups as a new market for Canadian grain and oilseed crops, as well as an environmental boon.
But there are some critics.
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has cautioned that grain demand by the ethanol industry could hurt livestock feed supplies. The National Farmers Union said biofuel support is a policy disaster that hurts some farm sectors, will benefit energy companies and will do little for the environment.
Last week, Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network said the environmental benefits are far from clear and increased demand for grain might mean more crops of genetically engineered grain and oilseed varieties to serve as biofuel feedstock.
Beyond that, witnesses were as enthusiastic as committee MPs.
Ducks Unlimited appeared before the committee last week to argue that among biofuel possibilities, the ethanol industry could have “the greatest potential to provide improved waterfowl habitat in Canada….Ducks Unlimited believes that if implemented correctly, a Canadian biofuel strategy could truly provide multi-functional benefits.”
Ian Thomson, president of the Vancouver-based Canadian Bioenergy Corp., was effusive in his Feb. 25 praise of the potential.
“Bill C-33 is the most direct means by which the government can support the most positive development in Canadian agriculture in the last three decades,” he told the committee.
Mark Nantais, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, told MPs that vehicle makers strongly endorse the move to biofuel.
He told MPs that renewable fuels could “significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the vehicle fleet.”
