Time is up for comments on how to certify bioenergy according to iLUC

Just before Christmas 2018, the final new version of the EU Renewable Energy Directive, also called RED II. It contains a 14 % target of renewable energy use in the transport sector by 2030, and another one stating that each EU member country has to make sure to use at least 3,5 % of so called advances biofuels the same year, with a gradual increase from 0,2 % starting the year 2022. At the same time, an upper limit is set of 7 % of biofuels based on feedstock that could also be used for food or feed (i.e. conventional biofuels).

The directive also includes coming up with criteria for certification of biofuels and other bioenergy with low risk of iLUC*, and to determine which feedstock constitute high risk of iLUC. This is done by a so-called delegated act, related to the RED Directive. The Commission’s proposal was published on February 8^th and was open for comments until March 8^th. f3 follows the progress of the Directive development. Currently, we take part in shaping of a policy paper about RED II being produced by ETIP Bioenergy, the European Technology and Innovation Platform.

On January 31^st, f3 was invited to a workshop on policy measures hosted by SFC (Swedish Gasification Centre) to talk about the content of RED II. The presentation (in Swedish) can be found here.

* indirect Land Use Change