Associations join forces to publish a position paper on sustainable renewable fuels

In late August, BIO Deutschland, together with eleven other associations and companies, issued a position paper entitled “Protecting the climate through sustainable renewable fuels", which they sent to government ministries. The signatories called for using existing sustainable options to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transport sector and for providing targeted funding to new technologies.

In order to meet the climate goals set for the transport sector, the following measures need to be taken:

• The German government must go beyond the targets set in the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (EU/2018/2001 - RED II). This needs to include an ambitious target for advanced biofuels and a target for electricity-based fuels as well as a steady increase of the GHG reduction target through 2030.
• The blending of biofuels must be increased and made available at petrol stations.
• The planned revision of European CO₂ regulation for passenger cars and vans in 2023 and for heavy goods vehicles in 2022 must make it possible to apply credits for sustainable renewable fuels to fleet emission limits.
• There needs to be a market introduction programme for research and development-intensive fuels such as electricity-based fuels.
• It would be an effective measure to exempt vehicles powered mostly by bio-based and alternative electricity-based fuels from paying toll, in accordance with the Federal Trunk Road Toll Act.