In 2018, almost two-thirds (65%) of the palm oil imported into the EU was burned as energy. Of that, 53% was used to make biodiesel for cars and trucks and 12% to generate electricity and heating. About a third of all the palm oil consumed in the EU in 2018 was used to produce food, animal feed and other industrial products such as cosmetics. Worryingly, palm oil used for biodiesel grew again last year - by 3% - while the use of palm oil to make food and animal feed dropped by a considerable 11%. This trend proves that the imported deforestation from palm oil is mainly driven by the EU biofuels policy.
Here T&E reproduces two papers from The Hague conference which set out the definitive legal situation surrounding the taxation of aviation fuel within and outside Europe. They were presented by Prof Dr Eckhard Pache from the Julian-Maximilians University of Wurzburg in Bavaria. They outline how taxing aviation fuel in Europe is possible today and urgently needed on both equity and climate change grounds and that, with ambition, all the barriers for doing so beyond Europe can be dismantled as well.
Lettre ouverte aux négociateurs des partis politiques en Région bruxelloise
Earlier this year industry organisations promoting liquefied natural gas as a maritime fuel commissioned and published a study on the climate benefits of LNG for ships. The study claims up to 21% GHG savings on a well-to-wake basis if ships use LNG over alternative fossil fuels. The research was undertaken by the consultancy Thinkstep. Following its publication, Dr Elizabeth Lindstad, chief scientist at the SINTEF Ocean research organisation in Norway, reached out to T&E with her commentary on the Thinkstep study. Her commentary can be downloaded below.
An analysis of all EU airports served by Ryanair has found that almost one-quarter of these airports are likely to be receiving state aid. The analysis, which is non-exhaustive as we focused only on small airports, includes many cases where airports used by Ryanair are shown to be in direct receipt of public money from local authorities. Such state aid is helping drive the airline’s record emissions growth, potentially breaches EU state aid rules, and faces being ruled illegal as the European Commission begins a review of the guidelines covering state aid to airports and airlines.