Renewable ethanol body calls on EU to include fuel in Green Deal transport strategy

London — The European Commission published its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy along with a 4-year action plan on Dec. 9, laying the foundations for how the EU's transport system will achieve its European Green Deal targets. However, renewable ethanol producer group ePURE said the guidelines don't go far enough in including renewable ethanol.

The European Green Deal, approved in the European Parliament in January 2020, aims to cut 90% of EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with nearly all cars, vans, buses as well as new heavy-duty vehicles set to produce zero emissions, according to the commission.

The newly published Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy targets at least 30 million zero-emission cars being operational on EU roads by 2030, with 100 EU cities set to be climate neutral, and a doubling of high-speed rail traffic across the EU, among other targets, the document showed.

"To reach our climate targets, emissions from the transport sector must get on a clear downward trend. Today's strategy will shift the way people and goods move across Europe and make it easy to combine different modes of transport in a single journey. We've set ambitious targets for the entire transport system to ensure a sustainable, smart, and resilient return from the COVID-19 crisis," according to Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president for the EU Green Deal.

However, Emmanuel Desplechin, secretary-general of ePURE, said that "the EU renewable ethanol industry should be included in the commission's proposed Low Carbon Fuels Value Chain -- which should cover road transport in addition to aviation and maritime. We look forward in the coming months to working with policymakers and stakeholders to help make the Green Deal real by ensuring that EU renewable energy, fuel quality, energy taxation and trade policy are better aligned to promote cost-effective and practical carbon-abatement solutions that can make an impact in the short-, medium- and long-term."

"You have to read a bit between the lines, but the Commission's strategy still signals that sustainable low-carbon fuels must play a vital role in Europe's road transport mix," Desplechin said. "Renewable EU ethanol -- from sustainably grown crops, waste and residues -- has proven year after year it is sustainable and low-carbon, significantly reducing emissions compared to fossil petrol, over 72% on average."

"While the focus may be on the growing importance of electric vehicles, the Commission's strategy confirms that battery EVs will represent around 11% of the EU vehicle fleet in 2030. Even a decade from now, a large majority of cars on the road will still run on liquid fuel, and renewable ethanol is among the best solutions for reducing their greenhouse-gas emissions," Desplechin added.