European Commission has no Clear Climate Change Mitigation Strategy

Communication of 20th July 2016, "A European Strategy for Low-Emission Mobility," addresses a broad spectrum of options to reduce transport-sector emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Norbert Schindler, Member of the German Bundestag and Chairman of the BDBe: "Deploying every available technological option to cut greenhouse gas emissions is the only way to achieve the climate protection goals. The German bioethanol industry therefore calls on the Commission not to rely on higher energy taxation and subsidies, but to ensure clear, reliable competitive conditions to create a stable environment for investment in more climate mitigation measures in the transport sector.”

The Communication addresses digitalisation, toll systems, research and development, and new fuel-consumption tests. It also considers tax incentives for purchases of zero-emission vehicles to be a particularly effective tool. However, it remains unclear whether it will continue to be mandatory in future to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle fuels and to replace fossil fuels by renewable energy sources. Instead the Commission advocates gradual phasing-out of technologies that are already established on the market, such as bioethanol produced from agricultural raw materials. Electric mobility is also discussed at length, mainly battery-powered vehicles are addressed. Fuel cells and established hybrid technologies play a minor role.
There are no concrete proposals for measures along the lines of the statutory requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all fuels, which was introduced in Germany in 2015. It therefore remains unclear how the goals adopted by the European Council, namely cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent and increasing the share of renewables to at least 27 per cent, are to be attained.
Norbert Schindler, Chairman of the BDBe, finds the Commission Communication disappointing: "We are pleased to see that the Commission is seeking to move forward on climate change mitigation in the transport sector. However, it has once again missed an opportunity to indicate a specific pathway to achieve environmentally-friendly, sustainable transport, and to seek public support for this. That means EU Member States must now take up this challenge. Germany should therefore continue to implement and extend the obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all fuels that it introduced in 2015."
Schindler underlines that the Commission's approach of promoting climate protection in the transport sector through tax breaks is flawed. "Instead, a clear, reliable and fair regulatory framework is needed to ensure effective competition for climate-friendly vehicles and fuels. Existing economically viable options, such as bioethanol produced from agricultural raw materials, which is capable of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by 66 per cent, and does not receive any subsidies, must therefore also be allowed to make a contribution as we move towards cleaner transport”, Schindler emphasizes.

Bioethanol is the most widespread biofuel in the world and also an important component of sustainable mobility in Germany. The German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDBe) represents the interests of the biofuel sector's member companies and associations, spanning agricultural production of the raw materials all the way to industrial production and processing of bioethanol and all by-products (DDGS, CDS, biogenic carbon dioxide, gluten, yeast, biomethane, organic fertiliser). www.bdbe.de
Bundesverband der deutschen Bioethanolwirtschaft e.V., Reinhardtstraße 16 І, 10117 Berlin