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    • Biofuels in Europe: An analysis of the new EU targets and sustainability requirements

    An analysis of the new EU targets and sustainability requirements with recommendations for future policy

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    In December 2008, the European Parliament and Member State representatives agreed on the Renewable Energy Directive, which sets a binding 20% target for renewable energy in the EU with a 10% sub-target for transport. The target date is the year 2020.

    The stated purpose of the transport target is to reduce the CO2 emissions caused by transport in the EU by reducing the amount of fossil fuels used in the sector.

    It is widely assumed that the target will be largely met through use of biofuels. Indeed the target was initially referred to as a biofuels target and effectively replaces a voluntary target for biofuels to make up 5.75% of EU transport fuel by 2010.

    In the background to the legislative discussion, biofuels hit the headlines worldwide last year as a number of important international organizations called into question the sustainability of their production. The International Energy Agency, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN, the OECD, the European Commission’s Joint Research Committee, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Science Committee of the European Environmental Agency all published reports raising a variety of concerns.

    Even before the biofuels issue became so hot, EU leaders had stressed that the targets should be “subject to production being sustainable”.

    The ‘sustainability criteria’ for biofuels thus became a part of the proposed law, and much of the legislative discussion centred on that issue. As biofuels supported under this Directive will get large amount of public support and money, this requires that their production is responsible and that they lead to proven and substantial environmental benefits.

    However, now that a biofuels/renewable energy in transport target has been agreed, it is necessary that we assess whether or not it will be achieved sustainably. This briefing will therefore examine the political outcome of the debate over ‘sustainability criteria’ and assess whether the legislation can achieve the aim of reducing GHG emissions in transport.