Biodiesel Industry Pushes for Ambition in Renewable Energy in Transport Post-2030

by Domenico Mininni (European Biodiesel Board/Euractiv) The European Biodiesel Board (EBB), representing the biodiesel (FAME and HVO) and bio-based aviation fuel (HEFA) producers in the EU is pushing for ambitious targets post-2030. Currently, the European Commission is evaluating responses from stakeholders on the post-2030 Energy and Climate framework and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).

The importance of this cannot be overstated. While much of the European economy has successfully begun its pivot toward a carbon-neutral future, the transport sector remains the exception. Responsible for a quarter of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions — a dramatic climb from 15% in 1990 — transport is the sector where emissions are still rising. As of 2024, the share of renewable energy in transport sat at just 11%, nearly 18 percentage points shy of our 2030 targets. Meanwhile the EU remains dependant on fossil oil, imported from third countries at a time of global energy instability.

In its policy recommendations for the establishment of the post-2030 EU energy and climate framework, the EBB is calling for a robust Renewable Energy Directive (RED) that prioritises stability, simplifies market entry for renewable fuels, and removes existing regulatory bottlenecks. The association argues that if legislation is too broad in terms of sectors in scope, it risks being insufficient. Because of the specificities of the transport sector as described above, broad sweeping policy choices should be accompanied by targeted transport targets, notably in the RED.

In its paper, the EBB advocates for a framework that continues the current trend of progressively increasing decarbonisation targets. The association remains fully committed to the set climate targets, and stresses that the EU must keep up its ambition.

“While the Effort Sharing Regulation and ETS I and ETS II are vital, they do not currently provide a price signal strong enough to drive the necessary volumes of renewable fuels,” said Domenico Mininni, Policy Director at EBB. “General market mechanisms must remain complementary to specific, ad-hoc transport targets within the post-2030 RED to ensure investment security and clear deployment pathways.”

To unlock the full potential of biofuels, the EBB identifies three critical dimensions that require immediate legislative attention in the post-2030 era. First, regarding sustainability and integrity, the EBB emphasises that effective fraud prevention in sustainability certification is a non-negotiable pre-condition for a functioning EU renewable fuel market. Without rigorous oversight, the market cannot deliver on its true decarbonization potential.

Second, the EBB calls for a strategic reassessment of feedstock eligibility. Existing caps applied to 1G biofuels and to Annex IXB biofuels should be reassessed. Moreover, appropriate regulatory incentives should be granted to all feedstocks in Annex IX. For its part B, this means, as a minimum, reassessing the cap.

Policy Director Mininni added: “The 2040 framework should undoubtedly set the RED as the regulatory reference for feedstock eligibility matters in all pieces of legislation governing the production and use of biofuels.”

Lastly, the EBB urges the removal of obstacles hindering high-blend biofuels. In particular, unnecessary limits in FAME specifications under the Fuel Quality Directive should be revised, and flexibility should be reintroduced for Member States to allow FAME content above the limits. Moreover, a new minimum quota for liquid road biofuels in the RED transport target should be set. READ MORE