The German Bundestag has passed a law to further develop the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction quota (GHG quota). This will increase the GHG quota in the transport sector from its current level of 6 percent to 25 percent in 2030. With the new law, the coalition parties CDU/CSU and SPD are sending a strong message for more climate change mitigation in transport says German Bioethanol Industry Association (Bundesverband der deutschen Bioethanolwirtschaft - BDBe).
With this resolution, the coalition parties are clearly going well beyond the plans of the federal government, which had initially aimed for a lower target quota and fewer incentives for lowering carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in transport by 2025.
The gradual linear increase in the GHG quota starting next year will significantly drive progress in the defossilisation of the transport sector. At the same time, it will create reliable prospects for manufacturers of sustainable renewable fuels to invest in existing and yet-to-be-developed fuel alternatives, commented Norbert Schindler, Chairman of the BDBe.
According to BDBe, the use of sustainable biofuels in the German transport sector currently prevents around 12 million tonnes of fossil CO2 emissions. Petrol (gasoline) blended with bioethanol saves three million tonnes of CO2 in transport, which is the equivalent of one million emission-free passenger cars.
With the ambitious increase in the GHG quota by 2030 that is now planned, the contribution sustainable biofuels can make to climate change mitigation can be stepped up in the short term, Norbert Schindler emphasised.
The measures adopted specifically address the CO2 emissions of the existing vehicle fleet, which will continue to consist mainly of vehicles powered by liquid or gaseous fuels well beyond 2030, regardless of the technology used.
The federal government, as it implements the parliamentary requirements in the regulations that have yet to be drafted, should now ensure that the enormous potential for climate change mitigation offered by sustainable renewable fuels is fully leveraged.
For example, multiple counting of electricity for charging, which still has to be defined, must be reconsidered in the GHG quota because it has no direct impact on climate change mitigation. At the same time, petrol blends with higher levels of admixture, such as Super E20, should also be made possible through appropriate regulatory requirements, ended Norbet Schindler.
