In-put to envirotax.bst at hmrc.gsi.gov.uk by 31 August 2006.UK fuel tax review

[Maxey L.]

Many thanks for all the feedback on my original posting.

Clearly Biodiesel (or neat veg oil which CAN be even more sustainable) is
not THE answer - there is no single answer for our overlapping
sustainability crises and yes, reducing demand is the first step most of us
in the UK need to take. 

Yes, there are dangers that, if approached with current attitudes towards
economic growth and unlimited consumption, using veg oil to replace diesel
could encourage brazilian deforestation and further exploitation of people
and planet. That is why sustainability solutions generally favour small
scale, community run solutions vs large scale,
for-private-shareholder-profit solutions. Countries should aim to be
self-sufficient in all forms of energy, this is possible in the UK with the
right mix and commitment.

By my crude calculations USED Veg Oil (UVO) currently produced in the UK
could meet approx 5% of the UK's road transport use (this is based on
research with Sundance Renewables, a workers co-op I work with which
collects UVO and produces biodiesel - but there are no clear and reliable
figures yet for the UK - a good research project for someone though - please
get in touch if you're interested in this). If, as a nation, we massively
reduce the distances we consume in our food and lifestyles and meet far more
of this distance by walking, cycling, public/shared transport, etc then this
could be a far higher %. OK current UVO production may be unsustainably high
due to fast food lifestyles, but it is there right now, going down drains,
to landfill, etc. So lets use it as part of a wider sustainabiltiy
transition.

I have re-weighted the draft letter in response to comments and encourage
all concerned to in-put the gov on this be emailing :

envirotax.bst at hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

Or visiting the gov website:
http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portaln
fpb=true&_pageLabel=pageExcise_ShowContent&propertyType=document&id=HMCE_PRO
D1_025604

or if this doesn't work go to

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

and search for 'Biodiesel review' on their internal web page search.

all the best, Larch


Dear madam/sir, 
 
I am writing to urge that the current review recommend zero fuel tax on Uk
sourced biodiesel and veg oil. Indeed, most European nations including
Germany, France and Italy currently have a zero fuel tax rating for
Bioodiesel and veg oil, as these fuels offer huge CO2 savings compared with
fossil fuels. As almost CO2 neutral fuels biodiesel and veg oil offer
potential to help reduce climate change when employed alongside policies to
reduce the demand for travel and energy.
 
In particular, the tax regime should fully embrace the climate change
implications of different fuels, with LPG treated more favourably than
fossil diesel/petrol, yet far less favourably than locally sourced
Biodiesel/straight veg oil. Within the Biodiesel/straight veg oil realm,
products derived locally from used veg should be treated more favourably
than virgin oil, and imported oil/biodiesel, thus my proposal for a tax
regime is:
 
47.1p/l - fossil diesel/petrol
37.1p/l - LPG (currently 9p/l)
27.1p/l - imported Biodiesel/straight veg oil from virgin oil
9 p/l - Biodiesel/straight veg oil from virgin oil originating in the UK

0 p/l - Biodiesel/straight veg oil from used oil originating in the UK
 
I look forward to hearing from you and hearing of the steps being taken to
bring about a more enlightened fuel tax regime in the UK soon,
 
 yours sincerely,