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It’s now up to Member States to show commitment to the reduction of transport emissions
Géraldine Kutas — posted 24/02/2015
Today, the European Parliament’s Environment committee adopted a second reading position on the ILUC dossier, and I’d like to congratulate MEPs for many of the points they expressed through their vote.
First, they signed off on a 6.5% target for energy from renewable sources in petrol by 2020. At UNICA, we believe this particular amendment was critical to the development of a more balanced biofuel policy in Europe. Today, MEPs agreed on a 6% cap on conventional biofuels. This cap could be entirely met by biodiesel, leaving no room for bioethanol (please see our new infographics here on why this would be the case) 6.5% sub-target for RES in petrol.
If we want to be serious about reducing emissions from petrol, we need to be able to blend it with bioethanol, a fuel guaranteeing significant emission savings, even when ILUC is taken into consideration. The 6.5% target provides certainty for bioethanol and will help the EU reduce its transport emissions.
Second, we are satisfied with the 1,25% sub-target for advanced biofuels, assorted with multiple counting. We believe it is a realistic ambition and a good signal sent to investors. Developing advanced biofuels requires considerable R&D efforts. For projects to reach commercial scale – a great challenge for some advanced biofuels – the regulatory framework needs to be crystal-clear.
Finally, I am also particularly glad to see that ENVI MEPs agreed to consider a longer timeframe for biofuel policy beyond 2020. We hope this will break the ‘code of silence’ around biofuels for the post-2020 period that has prevailed in the Commission over recent months.
As the Parliament will now engage in trialogues with Member States, we urge the rapporteur Nils Torvalds to carry these three points forward, especially the 6.5% target for renewable energy in petrol.
I’m aware that there will be limited flexibility amongst Member States to deviate from the Common Position adopted in first reading. The Council openly stated that the target for renewable energy in petrol was seen as unnecessary (Council Statement accompanying the first reading position) as it would not directly tackle ILUC. However, I strongly believe that the one way of tackling ILUC is to incentivise the consumption of low-ILUC biofuels such as bioethanol and even more, Brazilian sugarcane bioethanol. Sugarcane bioethanol brings emission savings of 55.8%, even when the ILUC impact is taken into account.
My last word will be for Member States: if you are serious about reducing transport emissions, use every opportunity at hand, including the wider use of bioethanol to reduce emissions from petrol!
Our New Year’s Resolutions for the Reduction of Transport Emissions
Géraldine Kutas — posted 22/01/2015
Well before we started thinking about our New Year’s resolutions, the European Commission published on 16 December its work programme for 2015, based on 23 new initiatives built around 10 key policy priorities.
We can only applaud the targeted nature of measures envisaged and this new Commission’s desire for better regulation. We believe this commitment can help Europe meet its political objectives.
However this ‘to do list’ seems to be overlooking some crucial aspects, that we hope the Commission will address in the course of 2015.
Decarbonisation of the energy mix appears as a key building block of the new Energy Union currently being designed by the European Commission. At UNICA we want to make sure that reducing transport emissions plays a key role in bringing down overall emissions. And we are unsure of what the Commission is planning to undertake in this respect.
If we go back to the 2030 Energy and Climate Framework published a year ago, or even to the October European Council conclusions, there are only limited indications of how the EU will concretely reduce emissions in transport. Despite calls for a review of the 2011 Transport White Paper during parliamentary hearings – and the preparation of an own-initiative report on the topic by Wim van de Camp MEP, the Commission has so far remained silent on this particular point.
At UNICA we remain optimistic and would like to recommend some New Year’s resolutions to the Commission. We have gathered some thoughts in a new position paper on reducing transport emissions by 2030, where we call for EU policymakers to:
– Prioritise transport as part of the measures of the 2030 package to be proposed in 2015, if Europe wants to be credible in reaching the 40% GHG reduction target agreed in October 2014;
– Extend and increase the target of the Fuel Quality Directive after 2020, as this would provide the right incentive to encourage road transport emissions reductions beyond efficiency gains (“EU 2030 Road Transport Decarbonisation Scenario Analysis”, E4tech, 2014);
– Promote a more balanced approach to the biofuel dossier to reflect the real environmental performance of biofuels, both conventional and advanced;
– Promote a better incentive system for stimulating the production and consumption of advanced biofuels;
– Clarify how the 27% EU renewable target will also translate in concrete measures and incentives for biofuels in the EU transport fuel mix.
A new study developed by E4tech, presented at our event in November, clearly states that biofuels will remain an essential component for decarbonising transport and, in the scenario to 2030, they have the potential to contribute up to 30MtCO₂ emissions savings with a 10% FQD target, instead of 6%.
Something to bear in mind for the implementation of our New Year’s resolutions!
Car efficiency alone is not enough to decarbonise transport!
Géraldine Kutas — posted 15/12/2014
On 4 December 2014, the Environment Committee in the European Parliament held a public hearing on air quality and on national emissions beyond 2020. Emissions from road traffic were naturally discussed and the debate focused, as expected, on testing methods. The new test methodology to count for real-driving emissions should be introduced in EU legislation not earlier than 2017 and a representative from Daimler, explained that real driving test (World Light Duty Test Procedure) will require “massive” hardware changes for car manufacturers and a two-step approach to implement the changes at the manufacturing plants.
The bottom line is that real benefits in reducing carbon emissions from transport won’t be seen for approximately another 10 years.
In this context, my call for a more balanced approach to biofuels makes even more sense. Can the EU realistically only rely on car efficiency to decarbonise transport?
It’s true that great improvements have been made in vehicles’ emissions and that EU targets for 2015 have been met already in 2014, but all this is based on inaccurate measurements that do not reflect real driving conditions. In the meantime, biofuels are also under scrutiny and good performing biofuels such as sugarcane ethanol – which can definitely be part of the solution for a more sustainable transport system – are treated in the same way as less performing biofuels. Transport is left without any sound strategy to reduce its emissions!
Once again we encourage the Commission, which will facilitate second reading negotiations on ILUC, and the European Parliament and Member States, to pursue a more nuanced approach to biofuels and work towards a regulatory framework which promotes the best performing products and measures, such as bioethanol in transport and real driving test cycles for vehicles.
Looking For Sensible RFS Answers In The Halls Of Congress
Janet McCabe, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, is expected to be the sole witness and face questions about EPA’s delay on releasing RFS targets. Unfortunately, the hearing may also call the program itself into question. While several members of the subcommittee, including Chairman James Lankford (R – OK) have criticized the RFS as unworkable and urged its repeal, we hope the hearing sticks to the facts.
The RFS has worked for America, cutting both emissions from vehicle fuels while elevating the United States to become the second-highest exporter in a growing international ethanol market. As we mentioned in our statement on EPA’s decision last month, the RFS has helped lower U.S. emissions through clean renewable fuels – including 435 million gallons of sugarcane ethanol from Brazil in 2013 alone.
While EPA missed a golden opportunity to increase the volume of low-carbon fuels flowing to American drivers by not finalizing the 2014 volume standards, it at least stepped back from proposed cuts to advanced biofuel targets, preserving U.S. advanced biofuel supplies for the time being.
Slashing RFS targets, or scrapping the program altogether, would be a fundamental step backward for America’s renewable energy industry, threaten U.S. access to low-carbon fuel, and run counter to international emissions reduction goals.
During tomorrow’s hearing, we hope to hear clarity on when and how EPA will address the 2014, 2015, and 2016 RFS mandates so Brazil’s sugarcane ethanol producers can ensure a dependable supply of advanced biofuels to America’s drivers – not hyperbole about a program that’s driving economic and environmental benefits.
By Pulling 2014 RFS Target, EPA Preserves Advanced Biofuel Supply For Now
Leticia Phillips — posted 21/11/2014
After more than a year of deliberation, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced it will not finalize 2014 volume standards under the renewable fuel standard (RFS) program before the end of the year. The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) issued the following statement in response, which should be attributed to Elizabeth Farina, UNICA President.
“EPA is at least stepping back from proposed cuts to advanced biofuel targets and ensuring American drivers will continue to benefit from a steady supply of clean renewable fuels like sugarcane ethanol. In 2013, 15 percent of America’s advanced biofuels – 435 million gallons – came from Brazil, delivering at least a 50 percent reduction in emissions compared to gasoline. Slashing the 2014 renewable fuels standard target would have fundamentally threatened both America’s supply of low-carbon fuel and the Obama Administration’s emissions reduction goals.
The Brazilian sugarcane ethanol industry has collaboratively worked with the U.S. to lower emissions through the RFS for over seven years, and while we’re relieved this decision doesn’t roll back environmental gains made over that time, EPA has missed a golden opportunity to increase the volume of cleaner fuel flowing to American drivers.
We encourage EPA to publish the 2015 RFS targets as soon as possible so advanced biofuel producers have clarity on production targets before the season starts.”
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UNICA is the largest organization representing sugar, ethanol, and bioelectricity producers in Brazil. For more information, visit www.sugarcane.org or join the conversation on Twitter at @CaneBiofuel.
Our Authors
Eduardo LeãoExecutive Director
Emily ReesRepresentative for Europe
Leticia PhillipsRepresentative, North America
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