The industry group Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels calls on the European Commission to set policy framework to support European investments in advanced biofuels to accelerate decarbonisation in the transport sector by 2030.
In a joint open letter to the European Commission (EC) the Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB), a group composed of prominent European advanced biofuel producers and European airlines have called on the EC to set policy framework to support European investments in advanced biofuels in order to accelerate decarbonisation in the transport sector by 2030.
Addressed to First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Vice-President Maroš Šefcovic, Commissioner Violeta Bulc and Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, LSB urges the EC to set an ambitious, binding and realistic energy based target for advanced biofuels in 2030. The group point out that the fuels its members produce meet the EU sustainability standards, including protection of biodiversity and land, and are certified by EU approved certification schemes that verify environmental, social and economic impacts. However LSB also stress that a stable and predictable business environment will be essential to trigger new substantial investments in EU advanced biofuels production capacity. According to LSB this can only be created through a long-term and reliable policy specifically promoting advanced technologies, without stranding existing investments.

In the letter LSB suggest that the EC sets a binding target of at least 3.5 percent in 2030 for advanced biofuels based on lignocellulose and biomass-based feedstock from forestry and forest-based industries, municipal solid waste (MSW), and algae enabled by new innovative production technologies. Furthermore that a binding target of at least 3.5 percent in 2030 for other non-food based advanced biofuels that are produced using more mature production technologies. In addition LSB suggest setting intermediate targets in 2025 in order to send a strong signal to the market to invest in production capacity of advanced biofuels now. Such targets could be assigned to companies bringing transport fuels into the market.
According to LSB this scale-up is feasible and realising the investments in advanced biofuels production is achievable citing the US ethanol industry as well as the EU wind and solar industry as examples of production capacity scale-up when the right policy framework is in place.
5530/AS