10 years of EU fuel policy increases EU dependence on unsustainable biofuels

The T&E report analyzes Oil World data for 2020 to assess current biofuel consumption and the impact of the Renewable Energy Directive 10 years after its introduction. Virgin vegetable oils (rapeseed, palm oil, soya) account for almost 80% of the feedstock used in EU biodiesel production. Ethanol production in Europe also relies heavily on food crops such as corn, wheat and sugar beets. The fraction of imported bioethanol is significant and largely comes from countries with duty-free access. Since 2011, drivers in the EU have burned some 39 Mt of biodiesel from palm and soybeans together, emitting around 381 Mt CO _2eq , three times more than would have been emitted if they had used fossil diesel instead.