‘Fit for 55 needs a biofuels boost’

The European Commission’s new ‘Fit for 55 package’ sets important new goals for emissions reduction and creates a solid foundation for reaching them by giving a role to renewable liquid fuels in decarbonising transport.
Unleashing the true potential of crop-based ethanol and creating a policy environment that can spark investment in advanced ethanol are must-have components of any realistic roadmap to carbon-neutrality.
“Fully enabling biofuels in the drive to carbon-neutrality is just common sense,” said Emmanuel Desplechin, secretary-general of ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association. “Even under a scenario in which electric vehicles make rapid gains in market share and the sale of internal combustion engines is phased out, the EU car fleet will consist predominantly of vehicles that run fully or partly on liquid fuel in 2030 and beyond.
“For these petrol and hybrid cars, renewable ethanol is the most cost-effective and socially inclusive way to reduce emissions. Europe cannot afford to ignore this important part of the equation.”
With the main components of the package, the Commission should fully maximise the tools it has...