The EU won’t publish its data on emissions from biofuels and tar sands until the spring but the working figures have been leaked to EurActiv and published on line.
The figures show that, once Indirect Land Use Changes are counted, biodiesel from palm and soybeans is roughly as polluting as Canadian tar sands. And rapeseed oil (which OFGEM has classed as “renewable”) is nearly as bad. And all three are worse than crude oil.
Damning stuff, especially considering that the EU is still committed to 10% of transport fuels coming from biofuel by 2020.
And very bad news for UK schemes that have relied (or are planning on relying) on biodiesel boilers or CHP as their means of meeting Code and planning requirements. According to the leaked figures they might as well burn oil, whatever the Code says.
Estimating emissions for fuels must be a nightmarishly difficult job. There will always be groups who dispute the findings (like, say, the European Biodiesel Board), but clearly the EU is starting to take a closer and better rounded view of impact from biofuels.
It’s inevitable that this rethink at the EU level will filter down to UK regulations. And there’s little doubt that first generation biodiesel’s days as a renewable fuel are numbered.
carbon limited 
I think the problem with defining ‘biodiesels’ is that the boundaries of the definition are just too large. This is generally the case for all biofuels.
The new SAP makes a half-hearted effort by having different carbon factors for recycled and non-recycled sources but there’s little distinction between getting your rapeseed oil from China or the UK.
Maybe they need to introduce some standards or certification scheme similar to the FSC.