Swedish biofuel company SEKAB BioFuels & Chemicals claims to be the first company in the world to certify its ethanol is environmentally and socially sustainable.
The ethanol, which is made from Brazilian sugarcane, conforms to lifecycle standards that guarantee the fuel is not produced using child or slave labor, is processed in fair working conditions for fair wages, and does not contribute to rainforest destruction.
"This initiative is the first of its kind in the world and a major step for speeding up the replacement of gasoline and diesel," says Anders Fredriksson of SEKAB. "The criteria will gradually be developed over the coming years and synchronized with international regulations when these are in place."
The fuel will be available for flex-fuel vehicles in Sweden by August. SEKAB delivers about 90% of all ethanol in Sweden for E85 and ED95 (ethanol for heavy vehicles).
Sugarcan harvesting is about about 30% mechanized today and is expected to reach 100% by 2014. The criteria will result in reduced CO2 emissions from farming, production and transport by at least 85% compared with gasoline.
An independent international verification company will audit all production units twice a year to ensure the established criteria are met.
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