The report states that industry as a whole is not keeping up with escalating targets designed to encourage more sustainable biofuels. Just 31% of biofuel feedstock met a Qualifying Environmental Standard, well below the target of 50%. The majority of suppliers also missed the GHG target of 50%, but the RTFO as a whole achieved 51% savings compared to fossil fuels.

Despite the poor performance by many, the report also identifies suppliers who are demonstrating what can be achieved. Greenergy and Shell undertook independent sustainability audits of Brazilian sugar cane with Shell also carrying out independent audits of German oilseed rape. Lissan and Topaz supplied all of their fuel from wastes and by-products. There are also many companies supplying only biofuels and meeting all three sustainability targets – this includes all companies supplying solely biodiesel from used cooking oil or tallow.

The RFA’s CEO Nick Goodall said: 'We've seen some progress from suppliers in meeting the challenge of sourcing their biofuels responsibly, but in many cases it has been disappointingly slow. Too many are lagging behind and dragging overall performance down. With mandatory sustainability criteria due to be introduced with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), companies currently missing all three targets need to make a step change in performance.'

The full report and supporting studies, containing a wide ranging examination of the impacts of UK biofuel use, are available at: www.renewablefuelsagency.gov.uk/yeartwo.