Calls for tighter rules on biofuels imports to root out palm oil fraud

Investigations suggest a large share of ‘used’ cooking oil being imported could be wrongly labelled as demand outpaces supply

Tighter rules are needed to ensure that the imported “used” cooking oil that airlines hope will power cleaner flights is not in fact virgin palm oil, campaigners have warned.

About 80% of waste oil is imported to create biofuels that are mostly still used in cars, vans and lorries despite growing demand from aviation. About 60% of those imports come from China.