Biofuels could hasten climate change

Tropical forests contain more than half of the Earth's terrestrial species. They also store around 46 percent of the world's living terrestrial carbon, and 25 percent of total net global carbon emissions may stem from deforestation. There is therefore an inherent contradiction in any strategy to clear tropical forest to grow crops for so-called carbon-neutral fuels.

There are signs that part of the oil-palm industry is trying to minimize the impact its plantations have on biodiversity, but there is currently little effort to mitigate potential climate impacts.

This study is published in Conservation Biology. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article may contact .

Finn Danielsen is a research scientist at NORDECO (Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology), a Danish non-profit research agency and consultancy and can be reached for questions at .

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