Renewable Fuels Agency

The Renewable Fuels Agency (or RFA is a UK Government NDPB, created by the Department for Transport to implement the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation or RTFO.

The RFA will administer the monthly reporting process required of fuel companies under the RTFO, issuing Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) in proportion to the quantities of biofuels registered. [http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa/abouttherfa.cfm About the RFA] The RenewableFuels Agency]

Function

The key stated aim of the UK government in introducing the RTFO is to reduce carbon emissions, and under the RTFO the RFA will ask fuel suppliers to report on the specific type and origin of biofuels, the compliance of biofuel crops with existing environmental and social sustainability criteria and the greenhouse gas emissions reductions achieved by using biofuels (based on an analysis of direct lifecycle contributions of crops to greenhouse gas emissions). [http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/govrecrfa.pdf Carbon and Sustainability Reporting Within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation] The Department for Transport] The RFA will be responsible for publishing updates on the progress of the RTFO, including progress on achieving compliance with sustainability criteria, on a monthly basis, as well as quarterly reports to the Department for Transport and annual reports to parliament.

Legislation

The two pieces of legislation that relate directly to this public body and the Government policy it implements are the Energy Act 2004 [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040020_en_1 Energy Act 2004] Office of Public Sector Information] and the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Order 2007. [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20073072_en_1 Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Order] Office of Public Sector Information]

Board

The RFA board has five members appointed by the Secretary of State, through open competition following guidelines set out by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. [http://www.ocpa.gov.uk/ OCPA home] Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments]

*The chair of the board is Professor Ed Gallagher, previously the Chief Executive of the Environment Agency and National Rivers Authority as well as the Manufacturing Director of Amersham International and the Director of Marketing and Product Development at Black and Decker. He has been the chair of Energywatch since 2004, and was Governor and then Chair of Middlesex University from 1994-2004.

*Greg Archer is the Director of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. He has previously worked for the Carbon Trust and was an Associate Director of Atkins Environment.

*Dr Paul Jefferiss is currently Director of Environmental Policy at BP. He was previously Head of Environmental Policy for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. He is a Non Executive Director of the Carbon Trust and the SITA Trust, a Board Member of the Low-Carbon Vehicle Partnership and a Trustee of the National Energy Foundation.

*Gareth Llewellyn is a non-executive director of Biffa plc where he chairs the Board's health, safety and environment committee. He is a member of faculty at Cambridge University, where he speaks on climate change and energy for the Prince of Wales's Cambridge Programme for Industry. Formerly he was Global Director for Corporate Responsibility for National Grid, a non-executive director of National Grid Property Holdings, and a Director of the UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy.

*Brian White is co founder and Director of biofuel trading company, BionerG Ltd. He is currently Chair of the National Energy Foundation, Non Executive Director of Xaviour Energy Ltd, Chair of Milton Keynes Energy Agency and Chair of the Milton Keynes Enterprise Hub. He was Member of Parliament for North East Milton Keynes between 1997 and 2005.

External links

* [http://www.dft.gov.uk/rfa Renewable Fuels Agency]
* [http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/environment/rtfo/ Renewable Tranpsort Fuel Obligation]

References