The EU and UK governments recognise the benefits of fuels from renewable sources, the role they have to play in reducing reliance on finite supplies of fossil fuels, and in reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions. So there is support for biodiesel production and use – particularly for biodiesel from the most sustainable sources such as ours.

The UK has signed up to two significant EU Directives. The Renewable Energy Directive sets a 10 per cent binding minimum target for biofuels in transport to be achieved by each member state by 2020.  The Fuel Quality Directive requires oil companies to reduce their carbon emissions by 6 per cent by 2020. This will be achieved mainly through the use of biofuels. The biofuel supplied to meet these directives must achieve measurable greenhouse gas savings and must be made from material which meets appropriate sustainability criteria.

The UK operates a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) which requires that 4 per cent of all fuel sold on UK forecourts must come from renewable sources, rising to 5 per cent by 2013/14. Obligated fuel suppliers who fail to meet their obligation under the RTFO are required to pay a buy-out price currently set at 30p per litre.

To encourage fuel suppliers to source the most environmentally friendly biofuels, companies are required to report on the sustainability and greenhouse gas benefits of the biofuels they sell. The government has signalled that from December 2011 it will only reward biofuels under the RTFO if they are made from feedstocks which meet appropriate sustainability standards.

Our biodiesel, which is made from tallow and used cooking oil, rates very highly both on greenhouse gas saving and sustainability.