European ethanol achieves record breaking GHG reduction in 2016

Renewable European ethanol achieved its highest greenhouse gas (GHG) savings yet in 2016, according to the latest producer data. A European association of renewable ethanol producers, ePure says that the new figures mark “another increase in ethanol’s EU decarbonisation performance.”

European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 66% greenhouse gas savings over fossil petrol in 2016, according to new certified data from European ethanol producers. For five consecutive years the greenhouse gas reductions of ethanol have improved.

“The statistics confirm yet again that renewable ethanol has a crucial role to play in achieving EU climate ambitions,” said Emmanuel Desplechin, Secretary General of ePURE. “Every year ethanol is improving its sustainability score, and helping reduce greenhouse gases from today’s vehicle fleet. Instead of pushing to phase out this sustainable European biofuel, the European Commission should be extolling ethanol as a homegrown source of clean-burning transport energy. At a time when Europe’s role in the global fight against climate change is more important than ever, we should not turn back now.”

Proposals to rework the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive, dubbed RED II, would phase out crop-based, ‘first generation’ biofuels by 2020, regardless of their sustainability or efficiency at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector. Although yet to be officially agreed, the proposals are causing a great deal of controversy in the biofuels sector. RED II is currently being considered by the EU Parliament and its member states.

Data to determine the new figures were compiled from ePure members and certified by auditing firm Copartner. The GHG savings results are part of a larger set of statistical data on ethanol production that will be published in mid-June.