by Michael Taylor (Forbes) The Vision X-Coupe is Mazda's latest push into renewable fuels, with executives calling the push into EVs unrealistic. --  Japanese auto maker Mazda has slammed industry and legislative obsessions with battery-electric vehicles for stopping the search for more creative ways to lower CO2 emissions.
The company’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Guyton, told the media at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo that renewable fuels were a viable answer to CO2 emissions from the auto industry, but that EV obsessions kept getting in the way.
The American executive argued that it was a “fundamental mistake” for governments to focus exclusively on the zero-tailpipe emissions that EVs offer rather than legislating for more realistic goals that consider whole-of-life emissions.
“If our society spent half as much time talking about biofuel as we are talking about electric vehicles, even a portion of the time we spend talking about electric vehicles…" Guyton said.
“I mean, wouldn’t it be great if we could apply a reduced carbon or carbon-neutral fuel to all those cars that are running around on the streets already? There’s more than a billion cars on the planet today,” he argued.
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Guyton insisted a broadened focus that included renewable fuels could bring about faster CO2 results by dramatically lowering the emissions from the world’s existing passenger and commercial vehicle fleets, without forcing customers to buy new EVs.
“EVs are not carbon neutral, they’re just zero carbon at the tailpipe,” Guyton explained.
“The fundamental mistake we made as a society was not looking at the wheel-to-wheel energy life cycle.” 
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Mazda President and CEO Masahiro Moro insisted the microalgae absorbed CO2 while storing oils in their cells - oils Mazda extracts to refine into carbon-neutral fuel.
“In our research on microalgae, we succeeded in producing over one liter of fuel from a 11,000-liter culture tank in about two weeks,” Moro said.
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"Once the fuel is extracted, the remaining microalgae is rich in nutrients, such as protein, which can be upcycled into food products or organic fertilizers.
"Now let’s talk about CO 2 capture. Exhaust from internal combustion engines contains CO2 at concentrations significantly about 350 times higher than in the atmosphere. To address this, we at Mazda developed a groundbreaking technology called 'Mazda Mobile Carbon Capture’ that efficiently pulls CO2 directly from exhaust.
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“This fuel could go in any car; it doesn’t have to go in a special Mazda engine,” Guyton insisted.
“It’s a powerful way to address the installed vehicle base.”
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Mazda used the Tokyo show to launch two models: the plug-in hybrid Vision X-Coupe, with 160km of EV range and 800km of overall range. Mazda also used the reveal of the Vision X-Coupe to push its microalgae-derived, carbon-neutral fuel, complete with what it calls Mobile Carbon Capture to reduce CO2 as it is driven.
It also launched the Vision X-Compact, with a strong focus on AI at the user interface, but most attention was on the first public showing of the all-new CX-5 production SUV, with combustion and hybrid power.
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The third generation of the CX-5 will start life with a 2.5-liter gasoline engine and will be on sale across Europe late this year.
It will mate the 2.5-liter mtoro to a 24 Volt hybrid system, with brake-by-wire, and it delivers 104kW of power and 238Nm of torque in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations.   READ MORE
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Excerpt from The Standard: Guyton said Japan's dependence on imported energy has long shaped Mazda's pragmatic approach to emissions reduction – an approach that values efficiency and reuse across all technologies rather than betting solely on battery-electrics.
"Japan imports substantially all our raw materials and our energy. Japan has always been focused on reuse, recycling – use less stuff, use less energy," he said.
"So whatever the form is, there's a very rational approach of using less energy. So EV doesn't… you know, we have to make our electricity here. A lot of it comes from fossil fuel. That doesn't really save the planet."
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Mr Guyton's comments come at a time when governments globally, including in Australia, are tightening emissions regulations. Locally, the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) takes effect from 2025 and is designed to accelerate the rollout of EVs.
However, Mazda remains one of the slowest movers in the EV space. Its first dedicated electric model, the MX-30 Electric, was discontinued in several markets due to poor demand, and the upcoming Mazda 6e will be its first fully electric sedan in Australia.
Mr Guyton's criticism of the industry's EV obsession with tailpipe emissions echoes growing sentiment among Japanese automakers that EV mandates overlook regional energy mixes. He said Mazda's focus will continue to be on reducing emissions across multiple technologies, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and alternative fuels.
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In Japan, Mazda has signed on to joint research programs exploring synthetic and algae-based fuels capable of running in traditional combustion engines. The company says these fuels could help existing vehicles achieve carbon-neutral operation, offsetting emissions without requiring new infrastructure.
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That approach aligns with Mazda's "multi-solution" strategy, which avoids betting on a single propulsion technology. Rather than chasing headline-grabbing EV targets, the company is positioning itself as a technology pragmatist that's willing to follow the market but not at the expense of affordability or practicality.
In Australia, that stance could resonate with buyers who have seen new-vehicle prices rise under NVES and infrastructure strain due to early EV adoption. Mazda remains one of the top-selling brands locally, with its CX-5 and CX-60, CX-70, CX-80 and CX-90 SUVs still dominating petrol and diesel segments.
As Mr Guyton put it bluntly: "Using less energy in some form – well, that's sensible."  READ MORE
 
Excerpt from Jimboomba Times:  Mazda says the prototype fuel can be refined from algae harvested in controlled tanks, using about 1000 litres of water to produce one litre of fuel every two weeks. The current process is slow and expensive, but the company believes it proves the concept is technically viable.
While some automakers have backed e-fuels synthesised from captured CO2 and hydrogen, Mazda's approach focuses on biological carbon recycling using living organisms to convert atmospheric carbon into energy-rich oil, which is then turned into fuel.
Mr Guyton added the company's ultimate goal is to make such fuels not just carbon-neutral but carbon-negative, meaning the production process removes more CO2 than the vehicle emits.
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"While other people are talking about carbon neutral, we are talking about potential for carbon negative, if it's done the right way," he said.
"So that, you know, the more you drive, the less greenhouse gas there is. Wow, that's kind of an interesting idea."
The research is part of Mazda's long-term "multi-solution strategy," which combines electrification with ongoing investment in cleaner combustion technologies.
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In Australia, where the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) will penalise higher-emission cars from 2025, Mazda's push for alternative fuels could help extend the lifespan of its petrol line-up while meeting stricter CO₂ targets. While the brand's first electric passenger car, the Mazda 6e, is due soon, full battery EVs remain a low priority.
For Mr Guyton, the algae program is a logical counterpoint to the government's EV-only focus.   READ MORE
 
Excerpt from Car Expert: Speaking to Australian journalists at this week’s Tokyo motor show, Mazda CFO Jeff Guyton revealed the company has developed a prototype exhaust-mounted capture device that can store about 20 per cent of a vehicle’s carbon dioxide output in a dedicated tank.
“The exhaust from an engine is really CO2-rich. It’s a target-rich environment to grab CO2 from,” Mr Guyton said.
“In the vehicle environment… we can then capture that carbon and be able to use it. Maybe it’s an exchange. Maybe, when you fuel the car, you exchange a filter or a substrate, and that thing — maybe that CO2 — is something which you can sell.”
Mazda plans to test the technology publicly in an endurance racing car later this year, collecting data under full-load conditions before deciding whether it could be scaled for road use.
“We are developing the tech, but what we have prototyped so far is very promising, and we are going to be demonstrating that in an endurance race later this year… we’ll get data from that race car during racing conditions,” he said.
According to Mr Guyton, the system captures around one-fifth of emitted CO2 by drawing exhaust gases through a drying process and binding the carbon to a crystalline zeolite substrate.
“You have hot exhaust gas coming through the pipe… the system sucks away a portion of what’s going out the tailpipe. It dries it, so that there’s basically CO2 left, and then there’s a kind of crystalline structure in our prototype made of zeolite… about 20 per cent of the CO2 that would otherwise go out stays in the device.”
While Mazda hasn’t disclosed when or if the technology will reach production, the concept points to a different path for cutting vehicle emissions – one that could extend the life of internal-combustion engines even as electric vehicles (EVs) gain political backing.
The captured gas is stored in a small onboard tank, which would eventually need to be swapped or emptied. Mazda says the spent CO2 could potentially be repurposed as a raw material for recycled plastics or industrial processes.
Mr Guyton suggested the company’s early work with carbon-based composite materials showcased at Tokyo in the Vision X-Coupe concept could link directly with this research.
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It’s a typically Mazda-style innovation: small-scale, pragmatic, and focused on incremental real-world benefits rather than sweeping promises. Mr Guyton admitted the company doesn’t have the resources to chase every new technology at once.
“It’s not big. I mean, we’re a small company, true. So our mindset is, Mazda can do anything, we just can’t do everything all at once,” he said.
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It’s an idea that may not fit the political narrative but could prove more achievable in markets like Australia, where energy generation is still far from carbon-neutral and EV infrastructure remains patchy.
Mazda’s next challenge will be to prove the system can function reliably in mass-market cars without adding excessive cost or weight.
For now, it remains an ambitious laboratory experiment, one that captures the company’s determination to make internal-combustion technology part of a cleaner future, rather than a casualty of regulation.  READ MORE
         
        
                
            
            
“Ethanol is the pathway now toward a low carbon future and the key to energy transition. If you look at low-carbon, scalable, affordable fuels, ethanol is the only game in town.” -- Ernest Moniz, EFI Foundation and former US Secretary of Energy, quoted in Oklahoma Farm Report  READ MORE
         
        
                
            
            
by Jefferson dos Santos Estevo* (Advanced Biofuels USA) The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) will be held in Belém, Pará, from November 10 to 21, 2025, under the presidency of Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago. In early March 2025, the “First Presidency Letter” was issued, providing political guidance to signal thematic priorities, structure negotiations, and orient the event’s political agenda. On June 20, the Fourth Letter introduced the topic of energy transition, our subject of interest. 
The Global Stocktake (GST) is the mechanism under the Paris Agreement that assesses collective progress every five years toward limiting global warming to 1.5°C. COP30 structured its Action Agenda around six thematic pillars, guiding policies and commitments to fully implement this climate goal, the first of which is the “transition in the energy, industry, and transport sectors.”
The energy transition occupies a central position, not only as an environmental objective but also as a strategic driver of a new development model, an area of high interest for the Brazilian government. 
Within this pillar, the presidency established four fundamental objectives: 
(1) triple renewable capacity and double energy efficiency; 
(2) accelerate zero- and low-emission technologies in hard-to-decarbonize sectors; 
(3) ensure universal access to energy; and 
(4) transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly, and equitable manner.
These actions and targets are in direct continuity with the so-called United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consensus, established at COP28 in Dubai in 2023, when 198 Parties adopted the first negotiated text explicitly mentioning the need to “transition away from fossil fuels” while also tripling global renewable capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. 
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, energy transition was on the agenda with new targets, but much of the discussion will take place at COP30, a period for submitting new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and updating the next five-year cycle of the Paris Agreement.
Within the UAE Consensus framework, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was designated to monitor and report global progress on the two central targets: expansion of renewable capacity and doubling energy efficiency. In 2024, IRENA published the report Delivering on the UAE Consensus, noting that installed renewable energy capacity reached 3.9 TWh in 2023, with a new addition of 473 GW, highlighting solar photovoltaic with 346.9 GW. Bioenergy, including biofuels (ethanol, biodiesel, SAF), reached around 149 GW in 2023.
A new report released in October 2025 indicated that installed renewable capacity increased by an additional 582 GW in 2024, representing an annual growth of approximately 15%, the highest ever recorded, reaching a total of 4.443 TW, with solar photovoltaic again accounting for over 70% of this increase. Bioenergy capacity grew to 151 GW, still far below the 2030 target of 308 GW. Some countries, including Japan, Poland, and Brazil, have modified their biofuel mandates.
Despite the increase in production, IRENA emphasizes that bioenergy production and use must scale exponentially, both for electricity generation and for supplying sustainable fuels, including biofuels, biogas, hydrogen, and hydrogen-derived fuels. These sources are essential to replace fossil fuels and reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as steel, cement, chemicals, aviation, shipping, and heavy transport, which remain highly dependent on conventional energy sources. In 2024, investments in bioenergy increased by 45%, reaching approximately US$19 billion, representing significant progress, although still insufficient to meet global energy transition targets.
Figure 1: Global installed renewable power capacity in the 1.5°C Scenario, 2023, 2024 and 2030

Search: (IRENA, 2025)
In this context, during the COP30 preparatory meeting, the Pre-COP, held in Brasília in October 2025, the Brazilian government announced the initiative “Belém Commitment on Sustainable Fuels”, also called “Belém 4x”, led in partnership with Japan, Italy, and India. The commitment aims to quadruple global production and use of sustainable fuels by 2035, based on evidence presented in another key report, the IEA’s Delivering Sustainable Fuels: Pathways to 2035.
The “Belém 4x” initiative reinforces the capacity of countries with significant renewable potential, such as Brazil, to play a leading role in reorganizing global clean energy supply chains. The IEA report projects that global sustainable fuel use will quadruple by 2035, rising from about 6 exajoules (EJ) in 2024 to over 25 EJ, driven primarily by advanced bioenergy, biogas, and low-carbon hydrogen, with a focus on sectors hardest to electrify. Achieving these targets requires substantial investments in production and distribution infrastructure, policy incentives, technological innovation, and international coordination.
Figure2: Sustainable fuel supply by fuel and demand by sector in the accelerated case, 2024 2035 
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Search:(IEA, 2025)
The convergence of the targets to triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency, and quadruple sustainable fuel production establishes an unprecedented emissions mitigation tripod in the international climate regime. 
This strategy goes beyond substituting energy sources, seeking to redefine the development paradigm itself, combining technological innovation, energy security, and climate justice. By placing energy transition at the center of climate policy, COP30 aims to link decarbonization with poverty reduction, productive inclusion, and economic diversification, especially in Global South countries. In this regard, the Brazilian presidency positions energy transition as a central agenda item for COP30 negotiations, although the specific negotiation tracks have not yet been detailed.
* Jefferson dos Santos Estevo is a researcher in International Relations and Energy Transition at the Center of Excellence in Hydrogen and Sustainable Energy Technologies (CEHTES) at the Federal University of Goiás. FAPEG Research Fellow. He holds a doctorate in Social Sciences from the University of Campinas.
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Excerpt from COP30 Brasil:  Two major reports released at the Pre-COP will serve as the foundation for Brazil’s goal of quadrupling the use of sustainable fuels by 2035 and accelerating the global transition to renewable energy. --- The energy transition took center stage on the second and final day of the Pre-COP, held on Tuesday, October 14, in Brasilia. During the event, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the Belém Commitment for Sustainable Fuels—known as Belém 4x—an initiative aimed at building high-level political support for the global goal of quadrupling the production and use of sustainable fuels by 2035.
The target is supported by a groundbreaking report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), Delivering Sustainable Fuels – Pathways to 2035.
Belém 4x seeks to promote the worldwide adoption of clean energy sources—such as hydrogen and its derivatives, biogases, biofuels, and synthetic fuels—capable of replacing fossil fuels and contributing to the decarbonization of energy systems and the fight against climate change. 
“This initiative seeks the support of as many countries as possible to send a political signal, including to economic stakeholders. Many of these technologies are technically viable but are not yet produced at sufficient scale,” noted João Marcos Paes Leme, Director of the Energy Department at Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan, Italy, and India have already expressed support for the Brazilian initiative, and more countries are expected to join the international commitment during the COP30 Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for November 6–7 in Belém.
Focus on Renewable Energy
In addition to the IEA report on sustainable fuels, another key study was presented at the Pre-COP—this time focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), submitted to the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) and the COP30 Presidency, shows that although the world reached a record 582 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2024, an additional 1,122 GW per year will be required to meet the 2030 target.
The outlook for energy efficiency is even more concerning, having improved by just 1% in 2024—far short of the 4% annual increase needed.  READ MORE
 
Excerpt from The Molecule Group:  Sustainable IndustriesLetter to the COP30 Presidency
As industry leaders from across the sustainable fuels value chain, we encourage the Brazilian COP30 Presidency to drive international collaboration and commitments to increase the production and use of sustainable fuels,
Achieving net zero GHG-emissions will require low carbon fuels to meet approximately 20% of global final energy demand by 2050, which will necessitate a substantial increase in sustainable fuels across all sectors.[1] 
Despite record growth, ready availability, and a track record of meaningful decarbonization, sustainable fuels production and use remains far short of their potential, and none of the main sustainable fuel options are on track for a net zero pathway.[2]
We recommend that countries consider the following principles when working to increase the production and use of sustainable fuels by 2035:
Adopt Ambitious Policies
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Foster demand by establishing stable, long-term mandates that are technology-neutral and tailored to national circumstances.
	 
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Promote the greatest climate benefit by rewarding fuels based on their lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions and crediting net-negative emissions from activities including but not limited to carbon dioxide removal, avoided emissions, and climate-smart agricultural practices.
	 
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Encourage investment by providing predictable financial support, such as contracts for difference, loan guarantees, or funding for essential infrastructure.
	 
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Maintain accountability by integrating sustainable fuels into national climate and energy plans, including within UNFCCC Nationally Determined Contributions and annual National Inventory Reports.
	 
Support Efficient Markets
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Harmonize the use of carbon accounting in policy making between jurisdictions and across voluntary and compliance markets. Consider the inter-operability of lifecycle assessment models, the use of evidence-based modeling inputs, the treatment of biogenic and recycled carbon, and encouraging common lifecycle assessment systems boundaries.
	 
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Support market-based transactions and procurement frameworks that recognize the value of environmental attributes for fuels, chemicals, and materials as separate from the underlying commodity, and that are standardized across compliance and voluntary markets.
	 
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Recognize the relationship between fuels, chemicals, and materials by promoting the use of sustainable molecules across all applications, creating a level playing field in the use of feedstocks, and supporting the inter-operability of carbon accounting frameworks, market-based transactions, and certification schemes between sectors.
	 
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Strengthen sustainability certification schemes and simplify data requirements by improving their compatibility, consistency, and transparency.
	 
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Simplify regulations to support diverse feedstock options and the rapid up-scaling of sustainable fuel supply and distribution networks.
	 
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Advance global trade through inter-governmental cooperation, facilitating equitable access to sustainable fuels, standardizing market frameworks, and eliminating geographic and sectoral barriers.
	 
Recognize All Environmental and Economic Benefits
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Recognize the climate and non-climate benefits achievable throughout sustainable fuels supply chains, including energy security, economic growth in rural and developing regions, reductions in non-GHG air pollutants, improvements in water quality, beneficial land-use impacts, and the circularization of our economy - including through the implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices.
	 
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Capitalize on economic opportunities that are inherent in developing new sustainable fuels technologies and infrastructure, especially in emerging markets and rural economies, including by upskilling existing workforces and providing relevant education opportunities, realizing the potential for widespread and equitable benefit from the energy transition.
	 
These Principles represents our collective intent to drive forward the global agenda for sustainable liquid and gaseous fuels, placing our climate commitments and broader environmental goals at the center, and working to ensure sustainable, just and equitable energy progress for all.
[1] International Energy Agency, Net Zero by 2050 – A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, p. 105-113
[2] International Energy Agency, Towards Common Criteria for Sustainable Fuels, p. 3  READ MORE
 
Excerpt from Reuters:  Targets for sustainable biofuels use and social aspects of the energy transition will be in focus at this year's United Nations climate summit, COP30, said Francesco La Camera, Director-General at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
COP30 will be held on November 10-21 in Belem, Brazil, where countries are due to present updated national climate commitments and assess progress on renewable energy targets agreed at previous summits.
La Camera said he anticipates a biofuel pledge that could become a target in the final declaration, potentially calling for quadrupled production by 2035 or setting a share target for sustainable aviation fuel in the energy mix.
"I think there will be more focus on the social aspect of the transition and also on the sustainable use of biomass," La Camera said on the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week event.
IRENA has prepared a biofuel report for the conference and launched an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization to promote biofuel manufacturing, he said.
La Camera said the conference will address how communities can participate in renewable energy projects.  READ MORE