Grown-up solution

In-Depth

With biofuels about the only large-scale alternative to oil for cleaner transport, we must take advantage of the opportunities they offer, says Andris Piebalgs

Transport depends on oil for 98 per cent of its fuel needs. That degree of dependence would be a worry, whatever the fuel. It is of double concern, given that oil is the fossil fuel of which global supplies are lowest, and of which the EU has least.

We need to pursue many solutions to this problem; but today, biofuels are just about the only large-scale option available to diversify fuel sources in the transport sector. We must ensure that we take advantage of the opportunities they offer.

Greenhouse gas emissions in transport are growing fast, too. This growth is negating the savings being made elsewhere. On present trends, transport will account for more than 60 per cent of the EU's increase in carbon dioxide emissions between 2005 and 2020. it is essential for this to be reversed. At EU level, there are just two policies with the capacity to do this on a significant scale — vehicle efficiency improvements and biofuels. We must promote them both strongly.

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