Green Fuel's Dirty Secret: Amazon Deforestation Links

A Texas refinery's green fuel production, linked to Amazon deforestation, raises environmental and legal concerns. Diamond Green Diesel sources cattle fat, associated with illegally deforested lands, to produce sustainable aviation fuel. Investigations reveal a complex supply chain linking deforestation and biofuel production, challenging sustainability claims.

In a troubling revelation, a Texas refinery praised for its contributions to sustainable aviation fuel is found entangled in the web of Amazon deforestation. Diamond Green Diesel, a joint venture by Darling Ingredients and Valero Energy, utilizes cattle fat, some sourced from lands cleared illegally in the Amazon, raising significant concerns.

The refinery, positioned in Port Arthur, Texas, transforms tallow into eco-friendly alternatives to traditional jet fuel, garnering substantial U.S. tax credits. However, investigations by Reuters and Reporter Brasil shed light on Brazilian suppliers linked directly to deforested lands, implicating the refinery in potentially illegal supply chains.

With the growing market for sustainable fuels, the incentives driving investments also appear to fuel further deforestation in the Amazon, according to experts. Legal scrutiny intensifies as Brazil's prosecutors investigate the supply chain, putting the refinery's sustainability credentials under the microscope.

(With inputs from agencies.)