EMEA News
Call for EU to Support Clean Shipping Fuels
Clean technology firms including those making low-carbon fuels for shipping deserve state support, a group of green and environmental organisations have said.
A letter from 15 organisations argues that as "clear opportunities for growth and scaling [up] remain limited" European Union governments should support the continent's clean technology sector.
"The Commission for the Clean Industrial Deal (CID) must provide robust incentives for EU-based industries to adopt cleantech, facilitating their transition toward decarbonised, circular, and innovative business models," a statement on the Transport & Environment website said.
The European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) will have a key role to play, according to the statement.
"The future ECF should be the financial backbone of a green industrial strategy, scaling up domestic clean tech manufacturing in key sectors like batteries and clean fuels for aviation and shipping," sustainable finance policy officer at T&E, Till Eichler, said.
Low-carbon bunker fuels are gaining ground within the maritime sector, however getting such fuels to a position where they can compete with fossil-based fuels remains a focus of debate. As International Maritime Organisation working groups move closer to agreement on the mechanics of the implementing the IMO's greenhouse gas policy, setting a global price on carbon emitted from marine fuels at a level where alternative fuels can thrive commercially has become a key issue.
