Major biofuels producer Brazil will launch a proposal to quadruple global output and use of sustainable fuels — including biofuels, biogases, synthetic fuels and hydrogen — by 2035, the UN Cop 30 climate summit's presidency said on Tuesday.
Preliminary findings from a forthcoming report by the IEA show that quadrupling production and use of sustainable fuels by 2035 is possible, UN Cop 30 president Andrea Correa do Lago said. But reaching that projection will depend on joint efforts "to overcome existing barriers, such as the lack of interoperability in carbon accounting methodologies, high costs, the absence of clear demand signals, and, in some cases, the need for investment in new infrastructure", he added.
The Cop 30 presidency will officially launch the declaration on 14 October, during a pre-Cop 30 event in Brazil's capital, Brasilia. The IEA report will be unveiled on the same date. Other countries can then endorse the proposal.
Brazil will host Cop 30 in November, in northern Para state.
Do Lago stressed the importance of sustainable fuels to achieve net-zero targets for greenhouse gas emissions on a panel during New Your Climate Week, on 23 September. During the event, leaders from across the sustainable fuels value chain handed a letter signed by more than 50 companies to do Lago asking the Cop 30 presidency to "drive international collaboration and commitments to scale up the production and use of sustainable fuels".
The document included the sector's key bottlenecks to increase investments and regulatory policy recommendations.
One of Brazil's priorities at Cop 30 is promoting sustainable fuels as "a solution for hard-to-abate sectors", the secretary for climate, energy and environment at Brazil's foreign affairs ministry Mauricio Lyrio said.
Brazil is a global leader in biofuels production, trailing only the US. It produced around 165,375 b/d of biodiesel in January-August, nearly 551,250 b/d of ethanol and approximately 241,360 m³/d of biomethane, data from hydrocarbons regulator ANP show. Its biofuels output can also boost hydrogen production.
