EU to reaffirm 10 percent renewable energy for transport target for 2020; electric cars, trains will cover 30

The European Union is reported to be at the brink of an agreement that would affirm that the EU will convert 10 percent of its transport fuel to renewable energy sources by 2020. The “indirect land use change” controversy, which focused on the conversion of rainforest to agricultural production, prompted many NGOs to call for scrapping the bioenergy targets.

In a compromise, a reported 30 percent of the target will be met by electric cars or trains, while the remainder will come from biofuels.

As a part of the compromise, the European Commission will reportedly develop regulations by 2010 to limit the impact of indirect land-use change, while biofuels developed from non-food sources will receive preferred treatment under the agreement. The agreement will need to be ratified by the European Parliament and all 27 EU members.

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