EC approves certification schemes for biofuels

21 July 2011

The European Commission has approved the first voluntary schemes that certify the sustainability of biofuels. To qualify for certification by these schemes, biofuels must be environmentally sustainable and lead to greenhouse gas emission savings over the whole production lifecycle. These criteria match two of the ethical principles that the Council recommended should guide biofuels policy development, as set out in its recent report Biofuels: ethical issues.

Intervention ladder informs Lords behaviour change report

19 July 2011

The House of Lords Science & Technology Committee has drawn on the Council’s ‘ladder of interventions’ to illustrate its conclusion that a whole range of measures – including some regulatory measures – will be needed to change behaviour in a way that will make a real difference to society’s biggest problems.

Council and AHRC host dementia policy seminars

13 July 2011

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have jointly hosted a series of three policy seminars focusing on the Council’s 2009 report Dementia: ethical issues.

The seminars, which took place in Westminster throughout March 2011, engaged researchers and policy-makers in the field of dementia, and sought to highlight areas of crossover between bioethics, the humanities, and policy-making in the context of dementia.

International symposium considers global health inequalities

24 June 2011

An international line-up of speakers and 130 guests discussed current initiatives and future challenges in global health inequalities at the Council’s 20th anniversary symposium on Wednesday 22 June in London.

G20 report addresses effect of biofuels on food prices

13 June 2011

A major international report delivered to the G20 group of governments, emphasises that biofuels should not impinge on people’s basic right to food – a central element of the ethical framework developed by the Council in its recent report Biofuels: ethical issues.

Summer UPDATE newsletter

8 June 2011

Read about the recent activities of the Council in the summer edition of UPDATE.

Forward Look 2011

6 June 2011

The Council's 2011 Forward Look seminar took place on 19-20 May in London.

The Council considers a range of future work topics at its annual Forward Look seminar. This year, four new topics were discussed by Council members and invited guests:

  • germline therapies

  • hyper-expensive new therapies and the prioritisation of R&D 

  • genomics, health records, database linkage and privacy

  • pandemics

Working Party on emerging biotechnologies meets with experts

3 June 2011

In May 2011, Members of the Working Party on emerging biotechnologies held fact-finding meetings with specialists in research and development and public engagement, as part of their evidence gathering process.

During the first meeting, experts in synthetic biology, tissue engineering, biochemistry, cloning, gene therapy and deep brain stimulation shared their views on a range of issues, including:

  • The concept of emerging biotechnology

Council calls for mandatory certification of biofuels

3 June 2011

In its response to the Government’s consultation on implementing the transport elements of the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED), the Council has called for the introduction of mandatory certification of biofuels, including both environmental and social sustainability criteria.

Supreme Court decision finds indefinite DNA retention unlawful

27 May 2011

The debate surrounding the UK’s policy on the retention of DNA has received further attention following a recent Supreme Court decision.