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After months of relentless campaigning the European Commission has finally decided that palm oil is not a green fuel and should not be promoted because it causes deforestation.
This is a breakthrough!
It means that the use of palm oil in diesel, which is driven by the EU’s renewable energy targets, will be gradually reduced as of 2023 to disappear from biodiesel in 2030.
It will offer much needed relief to the world’s wildlife and forests.
Seven in 10 Europeans oppose the use of palm oil in diesel, over 650,000 signed the petitions to stop it and more than 65,000 EU citizens took part in the public consultation to amend and improve the law.
You made the difference! Thank you!
Unfortunately this is only a partial victory. The EU Commission introduced a number of exemptions, which means that some palm oil could still be promoted as a “green” road fuel, and it failed to classify soy, a major contributor to deforestation worldwide, as unsustainable.
EU member states and the EU Parliament now have two months to pass or veto the Act, but they have no power to amend the rule. Although we expect some criticism, we think it'll be approved.
The Act adopted by the Commission will be reviewed in 2021. T&E and its partners will be monitoring closely any abuse and will call on national governments to follow France’s example and completely eliminate all palm oil from biofuels after 2020.
We'll keep you posted ;)
Thanks again and take care!
T&E's Energy team
