EU to Phase Out Damaging Soy Biofuels - CleanTechnica

The European Union has decided to phase out soy-based biofuels from counting towards its renewable energy targets, following new research by the EU Commission that links soy biofuels to significant deforestation and indirect land-use change (ILUC). This move aims to reduce CO2 emissions and biodiversity loss caused by converting land for biofuel crop cultivation. Environmental groups like Transport & Environment (T&E) highlight that soy biofuels are twice as harmful to the planet as fossil diesel, and the phase-out will prevent soy from regions such as the Americas from entering European fuel supplies, especially in light of the EU-Mercosur trade deal. While soy biofuels are being removed, other feedstocks with high ILUC risks, such as sugarcane, remain eligible under EU renewable targets, posing ongoing environmental concerns. The global demand for biofuels continues to rise, with sugarcane biofuel production expected to increase by 50% by 2030, including in ecologically sensitive areas like Papua