European renewable ethanol delivered an average of more than 66 percent greenhouse gas (GHG) savings over fossil petrol in 2016, according to new certified data from European ethanol producers. 

The number represents the latest of several annual increases in the climate-change-fighting potential of European ethanol, which has shown improved performance for five straight years. 

“The statistics confirm yet again that renewable ethanol has a crucial role to play in achieving EU climate ambitions,” said Emmanuel Desplechin, secretary general of ePURE. “Every year ethanol is improving its sustainability score, and helping reduce greenhouse gases from today’s vehicle fleet. Instead of pushing to phase out this sustainable European biofuel, the European Commission should be extolling ethanol as a homegrown source of clean-burning transport energy. At a time when Europe’s role in the global fight against climate change is more important than ever, we should not turn back now.”

The Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive recast proposal would phase out crop-based biofuels like renewable European ethanol after 2020 regardless of their sustainability or effectiveness at reducing GHG emissions in transport. The proposal is now being considered by the European Parliament and EU Member States.

Data required to determine the figure were compiled from ePURE members and certified by auditing firm Copartner. The GHG savings result is part of a larger set of statistical data on ethanol production that will be published in mid-June.