Biofuels industry criticises ‘inconsistent’ transport decarbonisation policy
EURACTIV reports: "New EU rules to green the maritime and aviation sectors prohibit the use of crop-based biofuels on sustainability grounds, though the same fuels play a major role in decarbonising the bloc’s vehicle fleet.
"This differing approach to the green credentials of first-generation biofuels across EU legislation has drawn criticism from industry.
"A European Commission report analysing the achievement of the 2020 renewable energy goals found that the consumption of biodiesel and bioethanol has increased since 2016, with bioenergy the primary means to decarbonise the EU transport sector at present.
"'Consumption of food and feed crop based-biofuels continues to represent a large share of renewable energy consumption in transport while the consumption of advanced biofuels was lower but increased significantly in recent years,' the report said.
"The high contribution of biodiesel and bioethanol to cutting road emissions “has led to a growth in biofuel consumption,” it added.
"However, despite EU legislation sanctioning the use of first-generation biofuels to replace petrol and diesel for road vehicles, both bioethanol and biodiesel are considered similar to fossil fuels in legislation governing aviation and maritime fuels.
"Craig Winneker, director of communications with biofuels trade association ePURE, called for an EU policy approach that is 'more pragmatic than dogmatic'".
