The European Commission on Wednesday concluded that palm oil should be phased out from transport fuel due to environmental concerns, sparking backlash from Malaysia, a top producer of the versatile commodity.
The European Commission on Wednesday concluded that palm oil should be phased out from transport fuel due to environmental concerns, sparking a backlash from Malaysia, a top producer of the vegetable oil.
In a statement opposing the European decision, Kok said it"highlights an unacceptable double standard by the European Commission — it failed to apply the same standard to soy bean oil." The European Commission concluded that 45 percent of the expansion of palm oil production since 2008 led to destruction of forests, wetlands or peatlands, resulting in more greenhouse gases. That compared to 8 percent for soybeans and 1 percent for sunflowers and rapeseed. The commission set 10 percent as the dividing line between less and more harmful feedstocks.
The versatile oil palm is an important cash crop to the two Southeast Asian countries' emerging economies, which both account for over 80 percent of the world's production of palm oil. The commodity is used in a wide variety of products from soaps to cakes and transport fuel.
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