More than 660 experts discussed challenges and possible solutions for climate protection and resource conservation in transportation at the 21st International Congress on Renewable Mobility "Fuels of the Future 2024". The conclusion of the two-day congress: In order to quickly reduce the enormous use of fossil fuels in road, air and shipping traffic, an ambitious and, above all, technology-open expansion of all renewable drive options such as biofuels, e-fuels and e-mobility must have top priority.

The participants at the congress are sending the clear message that, in view of the need to catch up on climate protection in the transport sector and the global vehicle population of around 1.3 billion vehicles with combustion engines, there is no way around a ramp-up of alternative fuels. Even if electric vehicles dominate new car registrations in the future, climate protection solutions will be needed for non-electrified areas of application such as aviation and shipping, machinery in agriculture and forestry or heavy duty traffic as well as the vehicle fleet with combustion engines. The Chairman of the German Bioenergy Association, Artur Auernhammer, emphasized at the opening of the congress that sustainable biofuels such as biodiesel, bioethanol or biomethane currently make the greatest contribution to climate protection in transport, but that in future other options that can be used in the existing infrastructure would have to be added, e.g. e-fuels and HVO. It became clear at the congress that fuel manufacturers and the vehicle industry are ready to use more sustainable fuels. The framework conditions set by the EU with the Green Deal provide for the first time a complete regulatory framework for the entire transport sector without mineral oil, including the infrastructure. The experts from science and business agreed that a technology-neutral approach to fleet limits and a comprehensive greenhouse gas balance for all powertrains is crucial in order to achieve fast and substantial greenhouse gas reductions.

The congress participants unequivocally expressed their anger about the lack of action by the EU Commission and the German government to investigate and curb the allegedly fraudulent imports of supposedly advanced biodiesel from China. They made clear that the market distortions caused by these imports, which have been ongoing for around a year, equally jeopardize investments in all forms of renewable mobility.

With regard to the German policy for renewable fuels, the congress participants were irritated by the Federal Ministry for the Environment's (BMUV) ongoing plan to exclude first generation biofuels from the greenhouse gas reduction quota. The industry is also concerned about the ministry's plans to reduce the contribution of first-generation biofuels to climate protection in transport in its draft national biomass strategy. The proposal, which was already rejected by other federal ministries last year, would jeopardize the industry's planning security and prevent a reliable political framework, which is the cornerstone of research and innovation in renewable fuels.

Background:

More than 660 participants from 31 nations accepted the invitation of the five associations of the German biofuels industry to attend the two-day international "Fuels of the Future" congress to find out about the possibilities of the transport transition and low-CO2 mobility. The organizing associations would like to thank all partners and participants for the successful congress and the exciting discussions.
The 22nd International Congress for Renewable Mobility "Fuels of the Future 2025" will take place in Berlin from January 20 to 21, 2025.