Malaysia takes WTO legal action against EU over palm biofuel curbs

Malaysia is taking legal action at the global trade watchdog against the European Union and member states France and Lithuania for restricting palm oil-based biofuels, the government said.

Plane power set for a defining decade

Aviation technology is due to reach new heights over the course of the next decade, as efficiency improvements, advancements in fuel development and even new forms of propulsion take to the skies. It could usher in a new age of flight.

Europe’s truck giants to ditch diesel, as hydrogen’s benefits come to fore

Seven major truck manufacturers pledged to stop selling fossil fuelled vehicles by 2040 on Tuesday (15 December), just as a landmark new study made the case that hydrogen should play a major role in powering heavy-duty transport in the coming years.

German motoring association pushes for increased ethanol in petrol blending

The German motoring association ADAC has proposed doubling the quota of ethanol’s blending with petrol in car engines from 10% to 20% to achieve higher CO2 savings and eventually contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

European transport’s green drive on the starting line

The European Commission launched on Wednesday (9 December) its vision for how to clean up transport’s emissions act, as part of a four year action plan designed to help the bloc hit its 2050 climate-neutrality target.

SAF success stories reveal air travel’s green flightpath

Boosting the use of greener jet-fuel is both a regulatory and an operational challenge. Airports, airlines and manufacturers have all shown interest in sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and are starting to use them more and more. Here are some of the success stories so far.

Thirst in flight: Aviation’s demand for greener fuels set to take off

The environmental impact of flying may have decreased in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic but sustainability is still on the radar of the industry, which is increasingly eyeing greener fuels as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Air travel’s date with sustainability draws nearer

Aviation is gearing up for big changes in how the industry is regulated, as climate targets bite. The options available to decarbonise planes are plentiful and the challenge now is to invest enough resources in tech upgrades and regulatory tweaks to get the job done.

EU urged to correct transport decarbonisation ‘anomaly’ to reach climate targets

The EU should scale up the use of sustainable renewable fuels in road transport if Europe’s ambitions for a decarbonised economy are to become a reality by 2050, stakeholders have said.

Oil will still drive Europe’s cars by 2030, data show

Europe has been trying for a long time to decarbonise its transport sector. However, official data shows that despite a number of EU legislative actions, road transport dependency on oil will remain high by 2030, raising doubts over the effectiveness...

Internal combustion engine ‘not going away’, automakers say

While automakers are busy making plans to roll out electric vehicles, the existing car fleet will continue relying on traditional fuels for many years to come, the industry says, arguing in favour of biofuels to achieve CO2 cuts in the short term.

We won’t get there without sustainable biofuels

It is common knowledge by now: transport is and stays a big greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter in the EU and worldwide. It accounted for 27% of EU-28 total emissions in 2017, and the sector runs almost entirely on fossil fuel. David Chiaramonti and Giacomo Talluri explain how this can be curbed.

Greener aviation set for end-of-year lift

An EU initiative aimed at boosting the uptake of cleaner aviation fuels is set to launch at the end of 2020 and a new push by the European Commission to streamline tax policy might yet have a big impact on air travel’s carbon footprint.

Airbus ponders hydrogen’s flying future

European aerospace giant Airbus sees hydrogen power as “one of the most promising technologies available” to decarbonise air travel and is looking to utilise it as part of plans to roll out a zero-emission aircraft by 2035.

Report: Europe’s imported UCO mainly comes from China and palm oil producer countries

A new report has found that more than half the Used Cooking Oil (UCO) used in Europe for biodiesel in 2019 was imported (1.5 million tonnes out of 2.8 million tonnes).

Largest electric plane in Europe takes to the skies over the UK

A six-seater battery-powered aircraft flew for the first time over the UK on Monday (22 June), becoming Europe’s largest e-plane in the process just as the aviation industry revealed that it wants the EU to invest big in the future of flight innovation.

EU lacks ‘complete overview’ about used cooking oil origins

The European Commission does not have a “complete overview” of the origin of used cooking oils used for the production of biodiesel consumed in the EU, but appears set to tighten the rules, EURACTIV has learned.

France unveils €15bn in aerospace aid

The French government on Tuesday (9 June) lifted the lid on a €15 billion support package for its lucrative but embattled aerospace sector. The scheme involves a €500 million investment fund for smaller companies and a plan to debut a carbon-neutral plane by 2035.

Biomass can contribute to sector integration in Green Deal

Member states can integrate their Energy and Climate plans into the Common Agricultural Policy to develop sustainable and resource-efficient biomass value chains, write David Chiaramonti and Calliope Panoutsou. Sector integrated biomass policies at national level will facilitate prioritisation within geographic...