EU eyes lower biofuel goal, Malaysia warns unfair

BRUSSELS, Sept 10 (Reuters) – European Union lawmakers have proposed cutting a target for using traditional biofuels to 6 percent of road transport fuel by 2020, a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed.

The EU executive Commission earlier this year proposed that 10 percent of all road transport fuel should come from renewable sources, without specifying how much of that should be so-called first generation biofuels — which use food crops — and second generation ones, which don’t.

If agreed in a vote on Thursday by the industry committee of EU parliamentarians, the tweaks backed by three major voting groups would formally include electric and hydrogen-powered cars within the 2020 road transport target.

“At least 40 percent of this (10 percent) target shall be met from electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources,” and other renewable sources, the document said. It also listed other alternative options including energy produced from waste, from biomass such as woodchips, or from algae produced in vats.

Guardian