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Netherlands publishes RED III biofuels draft

  • : Biofuels, Electricity, Emissions, Hydrogen
  • 25/06/24

The Dutch government's updated draft legislation to transpose the EU's revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) notably proposes abolishing double-counting renewable energy contributions from Annex IX feedstocks.

The draft introduces a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction mandate for land, inland shipping and maritime shipping, but excludes aviation — which was included in a previous draft. The RED III mandate will take effect in 2026.

Obligated parties have to fulfil the mandate by surrendering a sufficient amount of so-called emission reduction units (EREs) in each sector. The mandate's flexible credit allowance allows EREs generated in the land sector to be used to partly meet emission reduction obligations in inland and maritime shipping (see table), but EREs from inland and maritime shipping cannot be used by land sector suppliers to fulfil their compliance requirements.

Fuel suppliers with overall consumption of more than 500,000 l/yr will need to incorporate a 14.4pc share of renewable fuels in their annual deliveries in 2026. This increases linearly, to reach 27.1pc in 2030.

The amount of crop-based biofuels in the land sector will be limited to 1.4pc of the overall energy content of total consumption until 2030, and will not be accepted towards targets in maritime and inland shipping and aviation.

The amount of Annex IX Part B biofuels — such as used cooking oil (UCO) and animal fats categories 1 and 2 — that can be counted towards the mandate will be limited to 4.29pc in the land sector and 11.07pc in inland shipping. Obligated parties will be unable to claim EREs from Annex IX Part B fuels used in maritime shipping.

The draft also introduces a minimum share of emission reductions that have to be achieved by Annex IX Part A and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO), for all sectors.

RED III mandates that 5.5pc of all fuels supplied must be advanced biofuels, including at least 1pc RFNBOs by 2030. The Netherlands' draft decouples these targets, to reduce investment uncertainty (see table).

Refineries that use renewable hydrogen in their production process can claim refinery reduction units — or RAREs — which can be used by a supplier to meet an RFNBO sub-target in various sectors.

Correction factor delay

The ministry will delay its plans to apply a "correction factor" of 0.4 to its "refinery route" stimulus for hydrogen demand, in order to ensure the measure does not undermine direct use of hydrogen in transport.

The correction factor means the value of emissions reductions credits generated through the use of renewable hydrogen for transport fuel production would be limited to a certain percentage of those generated through direct use of renewable hydrogen or derivatives in transport.

The government leaves the option open to impose a correction factor from 2030.

Although the EU Fuel Quality Directive increases the maximum share of bio-based components to 10pc in diesel, the Dutch government said fuel suppliers must continue to offer B7 — diesel with up to 7pc biodiesel — as a protection grade, because of the large number of cars incompatible with B10.

Companies will be able to carry forward any excess EREs to the next compliance year. Companies with an annual obligation can carry forward up to 10pc of the total amount of EREs needed to fulfil their obligation in a year, with registering companies allowed to carry forward 4pc. Dutch renewable fuel tickets (HBEs) carried into 2026 will be converted into EREs on 1 April 2026, the government said.

Overview of future Dutch obligationspc CO2
20262027202820292030
Land (Road)
Sector-Specific Obligation14.416.422.824.827.1
Flexible Credit Allowance0.00.00.00.00.0
Total Obligation14.416.422.824.827.1
Annex 9A Sub-Obligation3.14.55.97.38.8
RFNBO Sub-Obligation0.050.060.360.771.07
Conventional Biofuel Limit1.21.21.21.21.2
Annex 9B Limit4.34.34.34.34.3
Maritime
Sector-Specific Obligation2.53.34.14.95.7
Flexible Credit Allowance1.11.51.82.22.5
Total Obligation3.64.85.97.18.2
Annex 9A Sub-Obligation-----
RFNBO Sub-Obligation0.000.020.080.160.32
Conventional Biofuel Limit0.00.00.00.00.0
Annex 9B Limit0.00.00.00.00.0
Inland Waterways
Sector-Specific Obligation3.04.16.18.211.6
Flexible Credit Allowance0.81.01.52.02.9
Total Obligation3.85.17.610.214.5
Annex 9A Sub-Obligation-----
RFNBO Sub-Obligation0.020.040.090.170.34
Conventional Biofuel Limit0.00.00.00.00.0
Annex 9B Limit11.111.111.111.111.1
*RFNBO: Renewable fuel of non-biological origin

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25/07/07

Multilateralism should steer climate finance: Brics

Multilateralism should steer climate finance: Brics

Sao Paulo, 7 July (Argus) — Developed countries must fully engage in climate finance to support developing countries trying to meet Paris agreement goals, top Brazilian officials said at the Brics summit held in Rio de Janeiro on 6-7 July. "One decade after the Paris agreement, [the world] lacks resources for a fair and planned transition," Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "Developing countries will be the most affected by losses and damages, while they are also the ones that have fewer ways to fund mitigation and adaptation," Lula da Silva said during his keynote address Monday. The Brics summit discussed climate finance in anticipation of the UN Cop 30 climate summit , which will be also be held Brazil, in November. The group issued a declaration that reinforced its commitment to uphold multilateralism as a solution for climate actions, while it also emphasized developed countries' responsibility towards developing countries to financially enable just transition pathways and sustainable development aligned with the Paris agreement. The Cop 29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November 2024 managed to reach an agreement to allocate $300bn/yr in resources for climate action. But delegates to the upcoming UN Cop 30 summit are targeting at least $1.3bn/yr in public and private funds to tackle climate change, focusing especially on countries that are already dealing with extreme weather conditions and lack financial resources to mitigate it. The Brics also announced a memorandum of understanding on the Brics Carbon Markets Partnership focused on capacity building and multinational cooperation to support climate strategies such as mitigation efforts and emergency resource mobilization. The declaration opposes unilateral protectionist measures, arguing that they "deliberately disrupt the global supply and production chains and distort competition." Climate justice, the fight against desertification, strengthened climate diplomacy and subsidies to environmental services were the main topics of discussion during the Brics summit, Brazil's environment minister Marina Silva said. Brazil will launch its own initiatives to promote climate finance in Cop 30. One program already launched is the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) fund that aims to raise $125bn to preserve 1bn hectares of global tropical forests across 80 developing countries. Brics' development bank NDB will target 40pc of its investments to promote sustainable development, such as energy transition. The bank has approved $40bn in investments for clean energy, environment protection and water supply, it said last week. Brazil accounts for $6.4bn of total investments, gathering resources to 29 projects under climate actions, according to the institution. Brazil currently holds the presidency of the Brics, which also includes Russia, China, India and South Africa. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Iran are also members. Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cuba, Uganda, Malaysia, Nigeria, Vietnam and Uzbekistan act as partner nations. Heated speech During his keynote address, Lula criticized the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as an institution that promotes unilateralism and stressed his support for reforming institutions of the UN to promote multilateralism and political equity for developing countries. He also mentioned that 65 of the biggest banks in the world committed to a $869bn investment to the fossil fuels sector last year. "Market incentives run contrary to sustainability," he said. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

NGOs pitch Amazon preservation funding to Cop 30


25/07/04
25/07/04

NGOs pitch Amazon preservation funding to Cop 30

Sao Paulo, 4 July (Argus) — Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Brazil's northern Amazon region set up a plan to draw investments to conservation, restoration and sustainable development in the biome. The plan — submitted to the UN Cop 30 climate summits presidency on 4 July — suggests redirecting subsidies from high-greenhouse gas emission activities to sustainable projects and promoting environmental services, as well as fighting against illegal economic practices such as animal trafficking and property speculation of public lands, according to the NGOs. The Amazon gathered around $5.8bn in investments between 2013-22, while it is worth at least $317bn/yr in ecosystem services, such as climate regulation — vital for agriculture and hydroelectric power generation — and biodiversity, according to the World Bank. The institution also estimated that $7bn would be necessary to preserve the biome against deforestation and ward it off from the tipping point, when it would suffer permanent damage like desertification and severe changes in the rainfall pattern. Main financial resources for the plan may come from the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) initiative, which Brazil launched in 2023 to raise funds to protect tropical forests and combat deforestation, the NGOs said. Considering the program's annual raising of $5bn, the groups expect that $2bn of it will fund the Amazon forest preservation. Another proposal includes the creation of a Global Declaration for Amazon to engage countries enrolled in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in contributing to strengthen the biome against climate change. Brazil will host UN Cop 30 climate summit in November, when it expects to deliver a roadmap to increase global climate finance to $1.3 trillion/yr. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cbio: ANP atrasa divulgação da lista


25/07/04
25/07/04

Cbio: ANP atrasa divulgação da lista

Sao Paulo, 4 July (Argus) — A Agência Nacional do Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP) recuou na divulgação da lista de distribuidoras inadimplentes à Política Nacional de Biocombustíveis (Renovabio). Apesar do anúncio inicial de que a lista seria divulgada em 7 de julho, a ANP agora afirma que isso deve ocorrer "em breve", mas sem previsão de data exata. Após a publicação, a venda de combustíveis a essas empresas gerará multa até que regularizem sua situação. O atraso ocorre após uma postagem na rede social X da ANP, que anunciou a divulgação da lista em 7 de julho. A postagem foi posteriormente apagada. Por Rebecca Gompertz Envie comentários e solicite mais informações em feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . Todos os direitos reservados.

US to lay out tariff demands in coming days: Trump


25/07/04
25/07/04

US to lay out tariff demands in coming days: Trump

London, 4 July (Argus) — The US will lay out its tariff demands on foreign trade partners in the coming days, President Donald Trump said today. From tomorrow, 5 July, Trump will send letters to 10-12 countries a day, with the aim that all countries will be "fully covered" by 9 July, Trump said. That rate will not cover the amount of tariff deals still to be done by the US, which to date has struck three deals — of 10pc with the UK and China and of 20pc with Vietnam. "[The tariffs will] range in value from maybe 60pc or 70pc tariffs to 10pc and 20pc tariffs," Trump said. Countries will start paying them on 1 August, he said. Since 5 April Washington has been charging a 10pc extra tariff on imports — energy commodities and critical minerals are exceptions — from nearly every foreign trade partner, and those rates could go higher after 9 July. Trump has justified those tariffs by citing an economic emergency caused by allegedly unfair trade practices in foreign countries, and his administration is engaged in talks with foreign governments with the nominal goal of lowering their trade barriers. By Haik Gugarats and Ben Winkley Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Carbon – In Focus: Article 6 out of ETS in EU proposal


25/07/04
25/07/04

Carbon – In Focus: Article 6 out of ETS in EU proposal

London, 4 July (Argus) — The European Commission will allow international carbon credits to contribute to the bloc's 2040 climate target, but will exclude their use in the EU emissions trading system (ETS), temporarily allaying fears of a potential carbon market impact, although questions around solutions to the ETS' diminishing allowance supply persist. The commission's proposal to cut EU greenhouse gas emissions by 90pc by 2040 compared with 1990 levels would, from 2036 onwards, allow up to 3pc of the goal to be met using international carbon credits issued under Article 6 of the Paris climate agreement. But contrary to speculation since the commission's director-general Kurt Vandenberghe indicated last month that the goal would include "flexibilities", it does not envisage integrating the offsets into the EU ETS. "These international credits should not play a role for compliance in the EU carbon market," the proposal states. The text must still be negotiated by the European Parliament and EU member states before its adoption, but the commission's approach is likely to have provided some initial reassurance to EU ETS participants, which may have feared the inclusion of credits could undermine the market. A study by research body the Oeko-Institut published last month warned that introducing Article 6 credits to the ETS "poses significant risks to the functioning and environmental integrity of the system". CDM impacts linger The concerns are not without precedent. Until 2020, participants were permitted to meet part of their ETS compliance obligations using international carbon offsets issued under Article 6's predecessor, the clean development mechanism (CDM). The high availability of often cheap credits of varying environmental integrity increased the ETS' supply glut last decade, which in turn dampened the signal for companies covered by the scheme to decarbonise. The EU ETS benchmark front-year contract closed at an average of €11.90/t of CO2 equivalent in Argus assessments over the system's third trading phase, from 2013-20. EU carbon market tightens But the market context by the end of next decade will be very different. The system's supply cap is expected to fall to zero by 2039, from 2.04bn allowances in 2013, leading to calls for the integration of instruments — in some cases including international credits — to bring flexibility to the market and avoid forcing sectors with residual emissions to shut down. And Article 6 credits will be more closely regulated than their antecedents, which could support their value and make any interaction between the markets less bearish for EU ETS allowances. At the World Bank's Innovate4Climate conference in Seville, Spain, last month, head of carbon markets at Spain-based bank BBVA, Ingo Ramming, told delegates that the EU needs to overcome reservations about international carbon credits stemming from past CDM experiences if it is to find a solution to the declining ETS supply cap. Political challenges remain Article 6's inclusion in the 2040 target in any form is likely to prove divisive in negotiations on the proposal. A number of EU countries were pushing for the inclusion of Article 6 credits in the goal ahead of the commission's proposal, but some parliamentary groups were quick to signal their disapproval of the approach set out in the text. Leader of the Greens in the parliament Bas Eickhout said he hopes to persuade other parties not to allow international credits into the target, while the S&D group — the second-largest in parliament — warned against their use, terming them "a last resort". By Victoria Hatherick EU ETS front-year contract €/t CO2e Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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