[For photos, see http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/04/427856.html)

Press release: Friday 17th April

17th April 2009, Campaigners occupy biofuel company office

Blue NG offices in Bath occupied by 13 members of Action Against Agrofuels

13 climate and social justice activists are currently occupying the office of Blue NG, the company which is planning to build the UK's first biofuel power plants. Banners are being hung from the building and activists are demanding that the company stops investing in biofuels.

BlueNG initially plans eight power plants which would run on virgin vegetable oil. Campaigners warn that those power plants will significantly boost the UK's imports of palm oil, which is linked to deforestation and the displacement of rural communities, including indigenous peoples. Blue NG speaks about using rapeseed oil but has failed to rule out using palm oil. In Germany, 1.3 billion kWh of energy are produced from palm oil burning because this is the cheapest vegetable oil and German providers have found it impossible to afford rapeseed oil.

Jess from the group says: "Hundreds of civil society groups, many scientists and institutions have warned that biofuels are causing more deforestation, more climate change, more people going hungry and more people being evicted from their land. Yet Blue NG wants to open up a vast new market for vegetable oil in a country which already uses far more than it can produce – making a bad situation even worse.!

James adds: "Blue NG has made misleading claims to garner political support. They have miselad people about the technology they will use and they've mislead people by claiming their biofuels will be sustainable. They claim that half a million hectares of formerly set aside land is available to grow more rapeseed oil, but that land is not available, and converting set-asides threatens to further wipe out bees andother pollinators on which all of us depend, and makes climate change even worse."

The European Environment Agency has recently confirmed that using European rapeseed oil means that other industries and companies are likely import more palm oil and this will cause more rainforest destruction in countries like Indonesia.(1)

Blue NG has been granted planning permission to build its first plant in Beckton in East London and has recently applied for a second one in Southall, West London.

Action Against Agrofuels chose 17th April for this protest because this is an International Day of Action to defend the rights of peasants/small farmers, called by Via Campesina.(2) The group supports calls by Via Campesina and many others for policies which support food sovereignty, rights and support for small farmers, and policies which support biodiverse, integrated and sustainable farming which has been shown to help mitigate climate change. According to Alan, "Biofuel companies like Blue NG unermine hopes for an agriculture which can feed people, protect biodiversity and protect the climate. This is why we are here to call on them to stop investing in biofuels."

1) See www.eea.europa.eu/publications/signals-2009/
2) For further informatoin, see www.viacampesina.org