Biofuels article in Science mag

14 April 2011

A Policy Forum article has been published in Science magazine which discussed the findings of the Council's recent report on biofuels.

Current biofuels policies are unethical, says report

Press Release

13 April 2011

Current UK and European policies on biofuels encourage unethical practices, says a report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics today following an 18-month inquiry. Policies such as the European Renewable Energy Directive are particularly weak when it comes to protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding human rights violations in developing countries. They also include few incentives for the development of new biofuel technologies that could help avoid these problems.

Consultation on emerging biotechnologies

4 April 2011

The Council has launched a call for views and evidence on the ethical issues raised by emerging biotechnologies. By looking at both current examples, such as synthetic biology and nanotechnology, and taking lessons from older cases, such as GM crops and IVF, the Council is interested in the way society and policy makers respond to new biotechnologies and how benefits from these technologies can be secured in an ethically appropriate manner.

The deadline for responses is 15 June 2011.

Spring UPDATE newsletter

1 April 2011

Read about the activities of the Council in the spring edition of UPDATE.