Europe's energy problem

Europe must move away from a transport system that relies on burning fossil fuels. But picking the right alternatives is crucial.

Europe is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels, but this is slowly changing as more and more car drivers switch to electric. Direct electrification is the most efficient way to power Europe’s cars and trucks, but hydrogen-based fuels will be needed for planes and ships.

The technologies exist to decarbonise all transport modes, what is crucial now is speed and scale. Importantly, this means avoiding fake solutions like e-fuels for cars and biofuels, which are often worse for the planet than the fuels they replace.

90% Europe’s transport is heavily dependent on oil

4.9% Biofuels in EU transport

1.6% Electricity in EU transport

Biofuels

In an attempt to reduce the EU’s oil dependence, the EU has promoted the use of biofuels in transport through its renewable energy policy, despite NGO warnings of their negative impacts. This has driven up the use of food crops for biofuel production with disastrous impacts on the climate and biodiversity.

T&E’s goal is to ensure the EU policy stops promoting biofuels from food crops and ends the support to palm and soy biofuels as soon as possible. T&E is also campaigning for more ambitious criteria for biofuels made from waste and residues.

Renewable electricity

Now that the electrification of transport is becoming a reality, we are working to make sure that renewable electricity is properly accounted for and rewarded as part of the EU fuels policy.

We also advocate for robust sustainability safeguards for the use of renewable hydrogen and synthetic fuels. These fuels should only be used for aviation and shipping where direct electrification is not feasible.

Oil

T&E is also campaigning to reduce the EU’s oil dependency and to reduce the influence and role of the European oil companies: BP, Shell, Eni, Repsol, and Total.

These companies are attempting to block the move towards a decarbonised transport fleet, by using ‘dirty’ lobbying tactics, media, advertisement and sponsorship to prevent climate action and rather promote ‘false solutions’, such as biofuels. It is their last desperate attempt to ‘survive’ in a decarbonised future and delay the electrification of the transport fleet and to continue business-as-usual and sell more oil.