The European Union
(EU) passed the world’s first green transportation fuel law, according to which
vessels will be required to use more sustainable fuels, with at least 2% of the bloc’s shipping fuels
will need to come from e-fuels derived from renewable electricity by 2034 at
the latest.
With negotiations
at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) running, the European
Federation for Transport and Environment, commonly referred to as Transport
& Environment (T&E) believes this
signals the beginning of the end for dirty shipping fuels and should become
a motivation for other countries around the globe.
“Today’s decision
marks the beginning of the end of dirty fuels in shipping. The EU is charting
the way with the most ambitious package of green shipping laws ever adopted.
This success should inspire other countries to do the same,” stated Delphine
Gozillon, sustainable shipping officer at T&E.
The EU’s FuelEU Maritime law
was agreed upon on 22 March by all the EU bodies and member states.
T&E said e-fuels
are one of the only options shipping has to decarbonise, where direct
electrification for many vessels is not possible. However, the group warns that
loopholes risk letting biofuels and low-carbon fuels in the backdoor.
T&E has called
on the European Union to fix these when it revises the law by 2028. Transport
& Environment noted that the final deal also contains stricter greenhouse
gas intensity goals, as well as a bonus for using green e-fuels until 2035,
known as the “multiplier of two.” This
should make e-fuels more appealing to use once the rule goes into effect in
2025.