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RFA: US dropped the ball on Paris climate agreement

The head of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) says the US made a glaring omission in its submission to the Paris climate change agreement.

Bob Dinneen, RFA’s president and CEO tells Brownfield that each nation was asked to submit its plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions leading up to the agreement. And about 70 nations DID include biofuels.

“The United States that has the most progressive, most effective carbon reduction program from the transportation sector was silent, didn’t mention it at all. It was a non-event and it was a missed opportunity.”

Dinneen says the RFA urged Secretary of State John Kerry last fall to include biofuels in his report.

“What a difference it would have made if the United States had gone to Paris and said ‘you need to be including biofuels as an incredibly important program to reduce carbon.’”

Dinneen says that would have helped with the US export markets, investment in new technologies.  Dinneen says he doesn’t know why the US was silent on biofuels and the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

“If you are EVER going to be serious about addressing global climate change, transportation fuels and biofuels have GOT to be a part of the solution,” he said.

AUDIO: Interview with Bob Dinneen at NAFB Washington Watch issues forum