Dutch province of Noord-Brabant subsidizes biofuels initiatives

As of April 2008, the provincial authorities are subsidizing both production of biofuels and buying of green vehicle fleets. Companies, municipal governments and alliances of all sorts can apply.

Benefits
The ultimate goal is CO2 emission reduction. But while at it, there are other benefits the province hopes to achieve.

Biofuels made out of organic waste and rest materials are the kind the province hopes to stimulate most – preferably those won out of waste or rest materials from regional producers. That will save costs and energy of long-distance transport and can be a boost for the regional economy at the same time.

Another benefit of biofuels, as the province mentions in its press release, is the fact that they decrease dependance on fossil fuels. Contrary to biofuels, fossil fuels are a limited source of power.

Apart from that, there can be another reason to seek oil-independance. It might not be what the province is concerned about, but ever since people have become afraid of a clash of civilisations, dependance on fossil fuels has rapidly become a disturbing phenomenon in the eyes of many.

Context
The subsidy arrangement is part of a larger Brabant cooperation programme for air quality (Brabants Samenwerkingsprogramma Luchtkwaliteit). To ensure that at the very least European 2011 and 2015 air quality regulations on particle emission and NOxes are met, the province has implemented an array of measures and projects.

They’re carried out in cooperation with municipalities, regional alliances and environmental services.

More information
Read more on the subsidies and the ‘Brabants Samenwerkingsprogramma Luchtkwaliteit’ here.