EU greenhouse gas intensity of road transport fuels down by 5.5% since 2010 – further action still necessary
The latest Fuel Quality Report finds that the average greenhouse gas intensity of fuels in the EU's 27 Member States has fallen by 5.5% compared to 2010, decreasing by 1.2 percentage points between 2019 and 2020.
Did you know that transport represents almost a quarter of Europe's greenhouse gas emissions and is the main cause of air pollution in cities? Road transport in particular is responsible for about 77% of all greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the EU. In the transition to zero-emission mobility, it is essential for the EU to decarbonise its transport fuels and to ensure that high-quality fuels are used.
On 26 October, the Commission adopted its annual Fuel Quality Report.Drawing on the 2020 reporting data submitted by EU Member States, the report finds that the average greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of fuels in the 27 Member States has fallen by 5.5% compared to 2010, decreasing by 1.2 percentage points in 2020 in comparison to the year 2019. The report also reveals that eleven Member States have achieved the target of reducing the GHG intensity of transport fuels and energy by at least 6%, which has applied since 2021 and was set out under the Fuel Quality Directive
This means that further action will be necessary to decarbonise the fuel and energy used in transport. The proposed revision of the Renewable Energy Directive substantially increases our overall ambition to reduce the GHG emission intensity of all transport fuels. The proposed ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime regulations also aim to boost the production and uptake of sustainable alternative fuels in the aviation and maritime sectors.
On top of that, the same week this report was adopted, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament agreed on stricter CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans, aiming for a 100% CO2 emission reduction for both new cars and vans by 2035.
The Fuel Quality Directive also sets strict quality requirements for fuels used in road transport in the EU to protect human health and the environment, and to make road travel across the EU safer.
Looking back at 2020, fossil fuels made up the vast majority of the total fuel supply, with diesel dominating in most EU countries. Meanwhile, biofuels accounted for 6.8% of total 2020 fuel supply, representing a slight increase in comparison to 2019. All diesel and petrol sold in the EU was marketed as containing respectively 7% of biodiesel or 5% to 10% of bioethanol by volume.
This report was adopted the same day as the Climate Action Progress Report which describes the overall progress made by the EU and its Member States on their path to climate neutrality.
