Transport is the only sector of the economy whose GHG emissions are increasing globally, scientists have warned.
Particularly in Europe, road transport CO2 emissions have been rising since 2013 and road transport, in general, contributes about one-fifth of the EU’s total emissions of carbon dioxide. While these emissions fell by 3.3% in 2012, they are still 20.5% higher than in 1990.
The annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) is this year taking place in Katowice, Poland, where stakeholders will explore the available options to decarbonise the transport sector.
In general, policymakers are pushing for electromobility but many analysts say it may not be the only solution to reduce transport environmental footprint.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released a report saying that the pace of transition in the transport sector deemed necessary for a 1.5C-consistent pathway must include more biofuels and electricity in transport’s energy mix.
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US ethanol producers: We are oil’s biggest competitor, cleaner too
Increasing ethanol use will help countries around the world meet their Paris Agreement climate goals in a cheaper way, US producers told EURACTIV.com, staking their claim to a higher role for the fuel, alongside electricity, in decarbonising transport.
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IEA chief: Ethanol ‘very important’ to reduce oil dependence
Ethanol will have a very important role in decarbonising the transport sector globally, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) told EURACTIV.com. Another energy expert said electrification will play a major role in transport but is not applicable to all sectors, which is where biofuels come in.
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Biofuels and electromobility are key in Portugal’s transport decarbonisation
Portugal will use both electromobility and biofuels to decarbonise its transport sector by 2050, José Mendes, Portuguese First Secretary of State for Mobility - Environment and Energy Transition, told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
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IPCC scientist: E-mobility not the only way to decarbonise transport
When it comes to decarbonisation of transport, switching to electric cars is just one option and there are a number of others, such as biofuels, that should not be discarded, a scientist from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told EURACTIV.com on the sidelines of COP24 in Katowice.
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Biofuels lead efforts to protect the climate
With every passing year, the pathway to a stable climate gets narrower and more difficult to navigate. Meanwhile, the reports from our planet’s top scientists paint an increasingly grim picture of what to expect if the swing in global temperatures cannot be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, writes Craig Willis.