EU to aim for 100% emission cuts in new ‘mid-century roadmap’

The European Commission is preparing an update of its low-carbon economy roadmap for 2050, according to news reports, acknowledging that the bloc’s current target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions at least 80% by mid-century is insufficient.

Euractiv quoted a source involved in the update of the EU’s 2050 low-carbon economy roadmap who said: “Meeting the Paris goal of keeping climate change well below 2°C – and aiming for no more than 1.5°C – requires bold action, including reaching climate neutrality this century.”

It’s yet another move by the European Union to re-assert its climate leadership. But at the same time the EU risks missing its Paris commitments if it follows through on the RED II proposal to phase out crop-based biofuels – including European ethanol, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 66% over petrol.

Instead of pushing to phase out this sustainable European biofuel, the EU should be extolling ethanol as a homegrown source of clean-burning transport energy. Not only it will respect EU citizens’ view to promote biofuels with high GHG savings but it will represent a major step in fighting climate change in a realistic and viable way. The EU needs to look at the benefits of ethanol in terms of air quality, employment and health.