* The first mechanisms for sustainable biofuels to the EU level are approved
published on 19/07/2011
Biofuels can be an environmentally friendly solution to replace fossil fuels.
However, we must ensure that rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands do not become oil palm plantations and sugar cane.
We must also ensure that biofuels provide, compared to fossil fuels, real savings of greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the sustainability of biofuels must be controlled either by the Member States, either through voluntary mechanisms subject to the approval of the European Commission. Today, the Commission has identified seven of these voluntary mechanisms: ISCC, Bonsucro U.S., EU RTRS RED, RED U.S. RSB, 2BSvs, and RSBA Greenergy. This approval is directly applicable in all 27 EU Member States.
The Commissioner for Energy, Mr Günther Oettinger, said: "We must ensure that the entire biofuel production and the corresponding supply chain is sustainable. That's why we set the standards for sustainability of the world's most demanding.
Mechanisms recognized today at the EU level is a good example of a reliable and transparent system that ensures compliance with these standards.
In order to receive public support or recognition for the achievement of national mandatory renewable energy, biofuels used in the EU, whether from local production and imported must meet sustainability criteria. They aim to prevent areas of high biodiversity value or with high stocks of carbon are converted into areas producing raw materials for the production of biofuels. In practice this means that biofuels produced from crops on land previously occupied by tropical forest or natural grassland with a unique ecosystem can not be considered sustainable. In addition, emissions of greenhouse gases over the entire production chain must be less than at least 35% to those in the chain of production of fossil fuels. This threshold will be raised gradually.
ContextThe EU has set a target a share of at least 10% of renewables in transport by 2020. Where biofuels are used to achieve this objective, they must meet a set of requirements for sustainability. Thus, biofuels can be produced in areas of high biodiversity value, such as protected areas or in areas with high stocks of carbon, such as forests and bogs.
Companies can choose to demonstrate their compliance with sustainability requirements as part of national or by joining a voluntary recognition by the Commission.
When the Commission has audited the depth of a mechanism with regard to the durability requirements and is satisfied that it adequately covers the requirements of sustainability set out in the Energy Directive renouvelables1, it will grant its approval for a five years.
These mechanisms control the place and manner of production of biofuels. If the rules are complied with a voluntary mechanism, this mechanism may issue a certificate for the product in question.After a thorough evaluation conducted by the Commission, and various improvements, the following mechanisms have been recognized:
- ISCC (mechanism funded German public for all types of biofuels);- U.S. Bonsucro (initiative for biofuels made from sugar cane, focusing on Brazil);- RTRS EU RED (initiative for soy-based biofuels, focusing on Argentina and Brazil);- RSB EU RED (initiative on all types of biofuels);- 2BSvs (mechanism developed by French producers and covering all types of biofuels);RBSA (mechanism established by the company Abengoa to its supply chain);- Greenergy (mechanism established by the company Greenergy for Brazilian ethanol made from sugar cane).The Commission is currently discussing with officials of other mechanisms voluntary opportunities to improve their functioning in order to apply sustainability requirements for biofuels.
Origin: European Commission Press Release