The introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) could seriously undermine the UK's claim to leadership on climate change and increase emissions from the transport sector, according to Greenpeace.

The group claims that new rules to oblige motorists to pump biofuels into their tanks will drive rainforest destruction and could actually accelerate global warming.

The law does nothing to prevent biofuels grown on newly deforested land from being sold in the UK. Suppliers are only required to 'report' the details of the crops they are using - a process which can be easily manipulated to hide the true origin of environmentally damaging crops like palm oil.

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The Government admits there will be no sustainability standards for biofuels in place until at least 2011.

Senior Forests Campaigner Belinda Fletcher said: "Right now, rainforests are being destroyed to make way for biofuel crops in places like Indonesia. This destruction leads to massive greenhouse gas emissions and completely undermines the point of these so called 'green fuels'.

"The government claims its plans will promote the best biofuels, but in reality there is nothing to stop the use of crops like Indonesian palm oil being pumped into our fuel tanks. At a time when the world's leading scientists are warning us of the madness of cutting down rainforests to grow crops for fuel, to press ahead with these plans is incredibly reckless."

(CD/JM)