The CLA has called for the Government’s biofuel policy to switch to support for renewable gas - instead of imported palm oil.

The Association’s call follows a report of a study suggesting that the Government’s target for raising the level of biofuel in all fuel sold in Britain would result in millions of acres of forest being logged or burnt down and converted to plantations.

CLA President William Worsley said: “There is a better renewable fuel option than biofuel which not only saves the rainforest but also delivers a cleaner fuel – gas. Biogas can be made from municipal and farm wastes using either anaerobic digestion or gasification.

“When upgraded, it is a cost-effective vehicle fuel widely used in other countries - notably Sweden. Biogas is especially useful in cities as it burns cleanly and produces almost no particulates. Buses are also quieter when run on gas than on diesel.”