Legislation that would have ensured that biofuels supplied or sold in New Zealand were sustainable has been defeated.
The Sustainable Biofuel Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in 2009 by former Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, was defeated at its second reading in Parliament tonight.
The bill was voted down 69-51, with National, New Zealand First, Act and United Future opposing it.
National's Nicky Wagner, who chaired the local government and environment committee that heard submissions on the bill, told Parliament that her party had concluded that the legislation was "unnecessary and impractical".
"First, there was no available international standard by which to judge whether or not biofuels were sustainable. Secondly, as National had repealed the biofuels obligation, there was no pressure to import unsustainable biofuels."
