Transport Minister Andrew Adonis has set out plans to take a more cautious approach to biofuels, as part of the Government’s response to concerns about the indirect environmental and social impacts of producing them.

The EU-15 should meet its collective target of cutting GHG emissions by 8% for the period 2008-2012 according to a new report by the European Environment Agency.

A meeting of experts convened by the World Health Organization in Madrid have agreed to a research agenda to develop an evidence-based framework for action on the human health implications of climate change. The plan builds on a comprehensive review of what is already known about health risks from climate change. It was developed by WHO with more than 80 researchers on climate change and health along with representatives of donor and other UN agencies. The research plan identifies five priority research areas; including:

The FAO's SOFA report 2008 focuses on biofuels and is entitled Biofuels: prospects, risks and opportunities. The report says that ensuring environmentally, economically and socially sustainable biofuel production requires policy action in the following broad areas: protecting the poor and food-insecure; taking advantage of opportunities for agricultural and rural development; ensuring environmental sustainability; reviewing existing biofuel policies; and making the international system supportive of sustainable biofuel development.