Sustainable fuels crucial for Germany's transport sector climate targets – industry associations
Clean Energy Wire
Together with nine other industry players, the automotive, farmers' and biofuel industry associations have agreed in a position paper that biofuels and electricity-based fuels must be supported for Germany to reach its climate targets in the transport sector. They argue that even if the number of electric cars in Germany rises according to targets, "around 40 million vehicles will still be powered by a combustion engine in 2030." Germany's target for CO2 emissions reduction in the transport sector "can therefore not be achieved without sustainable, renewable fuels", according to the paper. The associations recommend a tougher emissions reduction goal for oil companies, propose that vehicles running on "sustainable renewable fuels" should be exempt from federal highway tolls and that a market introduction programme should support the development of biofuels and electricity-based fuels, among other measures.
In 2018, biofuels covered 5.6 percent of the fuel required in the German transport sector, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 7.7 million tonnes. The use of biofuels registered in Germany on average helps save about 80 percent of greenhouse gases compared to fossil transport fuels. The German transport sector is under high pressure to improve its contribution to emission reduction, which has been close to zero since 1990.
