News from the European Parliament: A high ambition for low-emission mobility

The European Parliament voted Thursday to adopt an own-initiative report on "A European Strategy for Low-Emission Mobility" – calling for higher ambitions for decarbonising transport even as it considers legislation that would hamper the EU fight against climate change.

Among other things, the report, by Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout, calls on the European Commission "to distinguish between first-generation biofuels with high GHG efficiency and a low risk of indirect land use change and those which do not meet those criteria, and to take measures as soon as possible to phase out the use of feedstocks, including palm oil, that drive deforestation or the use of peat land, as a component of biofuels."

Emmanuel Desplechin, Secretary General of ePURE, said: “It is good to see the European Parliament make yet another proclamation supporting high ambitions for low-emission fuels – especially by pointing out that 'sustainable domestic biofuels reduce fossil fuel import dependence, thereby strengthening EU energy security.' It is also refreshing to see a focus on getting rid of bad biofuels like palm oil 'that drive deforestation or the use of peat land.’ What would be even better is if the European Parliament acted in the same way."

"Instead of pushing for a total EU phase-out of sustainable crop-based biofuels like European ethanol – a position that only helps fossil fuel – MEPs should promote low-emission fuels that we have now and that are already delivering greenhouse-gas reduction. Instead of waiting for so-called “zero-emission” vehicles to one day become common, we should embrace all sustainable solutions, for example by combining low-carbon fuels like ethanol with renewable electricity. That is the only way the EU will have any chance of meeting its climate goals for transport.”

 photo: © European Union 2015 - source:EP