This week the European Commission is hosting the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) and ePURE is calling on EU leaders to address the pressing need to reduce the crippling oil dependency(1) and carbon emissions of the EU transport sector by promoting alternative and sustainable fuels, such as renewable ethanol.
Renewable ethanol is the best available alternative to fossil fuels and further research and investments in the technology should be a priority for the EU’s transport sector. “ePURE calls on EU leaders to reiterate their commitment to sustainable, renewable fuels - without binding targets beyond 2020 the sector will slump”, says Rob Vierhout, Secretary General of ePURE.
In a letter(2) last week to EU Energy Ministers, ePURE urged EU leaders to introduce a binding target for sustainable biofuels beyond 2020, including a dedicated binding sub-target for cellulosic ethanol. However, binding targets for renewable fuels must be supported by favourable taxation measures for the most sustainable fuels, and ePURE urges EU Economic Ministers meeting this Friday to agree urgently on a new Energy Taxation Directive that recognises this.
Currently the taxation of energy products in the vast majority of EU Member States favours diesel. This has distorted the market, discriminated against other fuels, and encouraged the dominance of diesel cars. This dieselisation of the EU transport sector has increased EU dependency on diesel imports from refineries abroad, particularly Russia, while the increase in diesel emissions has also significant negative implications for human health.
Last week a World Health Organisation report(3) confirmed the negative health effects of air pollution from diesel use. These findings are a worrying development for Europe considering that in 2012 diesel consumption represents about 65% of all fuels used in transport(4).
Renewable ethanol scores well on all points: reduction of carbon emissions, sustainability, reduction of fossil fuel dependency and health. Therefore, the urgency of having to reduce carbon emissions in the EU transport sector makes renewable ethanol the obvious choice.
“We call for binding targets beyond 2020 and a level playing field with the diesel sector in regards to taxation, concludes Mr. Vierhout.
(1) European Commissioner Connie Hedegaard speaking to the European Parliament on 12 March 2012.
(2) ePURE letter to EU Energy Ministers, June 2012.
(3) Diesel exhausts do cause cancer, says WHO. June 2012.
(4) Europia Annual Report 2011, page 77.
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