ePURE Reacts to EU Council Agreement on Car, Van CO2 Targets
(ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Following the EU Council of Ministers agreement on a General Approach for the revision of car and van CO2 standards, ePURE issued the following statement from Director General David Carpintero:
“Europe needs a range of solutions to decarbonize transport — including renewable ethanol — not just one technology that isn’t yet fully attainable for all segments of society. A more realistic EU approach would make it clear to EU citizens that there are no ‘zero emission’ cars. Measured on a full life-cycle, there are always emissions and always costs.
As part of its review of what constitutes ‘CO2 neutral fuels’, the Commission should take into account the continuously improving GHG-reduction performance of EU renewable ethanol, and recent studies that show hybrid vehicles running on high-ethanol blends have lower GHG emissions than battery electric vehicles on a full-life-cycle basis.
The fact is we need more than just one solution to achieve real decarbonisation today and tomorrow without hitting consumers’ purchasing power and adapting to their needs. A socially inclusive transition to carbon neutrality should empower all citizens, not just those who can afford new technologies, and all countries, not just those that can afford new infrastructure.” READ MORE
How Green Is Wind Power, Really? A New Report Tallies Up The Carbon Cost Of Renewables (Forbes)
‘Good signal’ as EU revises emission standards for vehicles (Biofuels International)
Excerpt from Forbes: Building and erecting wind turbines requires hundreds of tons of materials — steel, concrete, fiberglass, copper, and more exotic stuff like neodymium and dysprosium used in permanent magnets.
All of it has a carbon footprint. Making steel requires the combustion of metallurgical coal in blast furnaces. Mining metals and rare earths is energy intensive. And the manufacture of concrete emits lots of carbon dioxide.
…
Good news: amortizing the carbon cost over the decades-long lifespan of the equipment, Bernstein determined that wind power has a carbon footprint 99% less than coal-fired power plants, 98% less than natural gas, and a surprise 75% less than solar. READ MORE
Excerpt from ePURE: Under the trilogue agreement, the Commission will assess the full life-cycle emissions of vehicles put on the road, including emissions from fuels and energy consumed by the vehicles
.. Negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission provisionally agreed on the revision of the CO2 emission standards for cars and vans. The co-legislators backed a 100% reduction target to phase out the internal combustion engine by 2035 but did not entirely dismiss the contribution of renewable fuels.
The agreement foresees that the Commission prepare by 2025 a methodology to assess the full life-cycle emissions of vehicles put on the road, including emissions from the fuels and energy consumed by the vehicles.
“A more realistic EU approach would be clear for EU citizens that there are no ‘zero emission’ cars and that, on a full life-cycle measurement, more than just one solution stands out,” said David Carpintero, Director-General of ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association. “However, the EU must ensure the methodology is rolled out efficiently in the reporting of OEMs and that the objectives of the Regulation targets reduction of the whole life-cycle emissions”.
Co-legislators also propose a dedicated recital leaving the door open for registering vehicles running exclusively on CO2-neutral fuels, even after 2035.
“This is a good signal. If Europe is to achieve its climate goals while taking into account all citizens’ purchasing power and reducing its energy dependency, we must diversify options and valorise all local, sustainable and affordable fuels such as renewable ethanol,” said Valérie Corre, ePURE’s President. “Europe needs more than just one technology to decarbonise road transport and rolling out sustainable renewable fuels such as renewable ethanol is the most immediate, cost-effective, and socially inclusive solution at hand.”
Corre continued: “European renewable ethanol saves on average 77% GHG emissions compared to fossil fuel, and recent studies have shown that hybrid vehicles running on high-ethanol blends have lower GHG emissions than battery electric vehicles on a full-life-cycle basis. Opening up to the contribution of renewable fuels as early as possible will not only help broaden the range of solution for all EU citizens and preserve affordability of mobility, but also lead to faster emission reduction.”
Co-legislators also signed off on provisions increasing scrutiny over the achievement and impacts of the CO2 standards. The proposed Regulation is set to be reviewed by 2026 to assess the need to revise the reduction targets in light of technological developments, including the potential of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
“Many of the enabling conditions to support the electrification of the fleet are yet to be deployed. A socially inclusive transition to carbon neutrality should empower all citizens, not just those who can afford new technologies, and all countries, not just those that can afford new infrastructure,” Carpintero said. “Given the level of uncertainty concerning the availability of raw materials for batteries and rising energy prices, the EU must thoroughly assess the viability of a total ban on internal combustion engine by 2035.”
Both the European Parliament and Council are expected to formally approve the agreement before it can come into force. READ MORE
