Europe’s reliance on foreign oil stubbornly defies decades of climate policy, with fossil fuels still powering more than 92% of the bloc’s transport energy.
That dependency has become a strategic liability as geopolitical tensions force EU leaders to chase energy independence alongside decarbonisation. Policymakers face pressure to deliver affordability, security, and emissions cuts simultaneously, a balancing act that demands solutions beyond a single technology.
Renewable ethanol produced within the EU stands out as one such homegrown option. It supports energy autonomy, strengthens food security through co-products like animal feed, and bolsters industrial competitiveness. Crucially, certified lifecycle greenhouse gas savings for crop-based renewable ethanol exceed 81% compared to fossil fuel.
Meanwhile, the upcoming review of CO₂ emission standards for cars and vans puts a pivotal question before Brussels: how to achieve real decarbonisation while using every practical tool Europe already possesses. The current singular focus on electrifying the EU car fleet sidelines proven alternatives. This matters because 249 million passenger cars currently registered in the EU, more than half running on petrol, will remain on roads for years. Battery electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid sales continue growing, yet conventional and hybrid internal combustion engines will still dominate the fleet for the foreseeable future. Unlocking emissions cuts from those vehicles requires higher blends of renewable fuel.
Public sentiment reinforces this pragmatic turn. A EuroPulse survey of 26,000 people across Europe found 46% oppose banning new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, with only 27% in favor. Those same respondents strongly back domestically produced renewable energy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and several commissioners have already acknowledged renewable ethanol as a strategic asset for the bloc’s energy independence. The post-2030 renewable energy framework review now underway offers a concrete lever: enabling higher ethanol blends would accelerate greenhouse gas reductions from road transport immediately. Europe’s citizens want flexibility, and its farmers already produce the feedstock. The path forward runs through technology openness, not technology mandates.
