Brazil is working with Japan and Italy to build support for a global commitment to quadruple sustainable fuel production by 2035, an effort to boost technology to help decarbonize transportation and energy systems. The country unveiled the initiative on Tuesday ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Belém next month.
“The idea is that from now until the Belém summit, this initiative can gain more strength,” said João Marcos Paes Leme.director of the Department of Energy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, during a press conference in Brasilia.
A draft statement seen by Bloomberg, called the Belém 4X Commitment on Sustainable Fuels, commits to expanding the use of these fuels globally at least four times over 2024 baseline levels, “taking into account different starting points and national circumstances”. Signatories would commit to taking comprehensive national measures to meet the goal.
Francesco Corvaro, the Italian government’s special envoy for climate, said the proposal was launched jointly by Brazil, Japan, Italy and India and that several other countries are believed to be interested in joining, but “we must wait for statements during the COP in Belém.” Sustainable fuels typically include liquid biofuels, biogases and green hydrogen, along with solutions such as e-fuels, which are manufactured using captured carbon dioxide and renewable electricity.
“Many of these technologies are technically viable, but they are not yet produced on a sufficient scale,” Leme said. “Therefore, it is important that economic actors see that there is political support within the COP for these solutions to be scaled up.”
The pledge seeks to address a perceived gap in a landmark agreement reached at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels, which also included promises to triple global renewable energy capacity and double the average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by the end of this decade. Sustainable fuels are considered a key tool to reduce emissions in some of the most difficult to decarbonize sectors, such as aviation.
Accelerating the deployment of these technologies could generate investments of up to US$1.5 trillion between 2024 and 2035 and create 2 million jobs, noted the International Energy Agency in an October 13 report.
Brazil is a powerhouse in biofuels. A program launched after the 1973 oil crisis created a domestic ethanol industry, and most of the country’s cars can now run on gasoline, ethanol, or a mixture of these. Brazil is the second largest exporter of ethanol in the world.
However, crop-based biofuels, in particular, are controversial, with environmental activists warning they can worsen food and land insecurity, harm biodiversity and even increase emissions. By comparison, the market for e-biofuels, which in theory can be carbon neutral, is nascent and expensive. Critics say the energy generated by wind and solar could be better used elsewhere.
A global declaration could help stimulate investment in technologies, as well as create a set of international standards covering the amount of CO2 that can be emitted during their production and the possible knock-on effects on food supplies and biodiversity. The European Union is considering signing, but has reservations about the role of biofuels, another source said. Italy has been pushing for biofuel-powered vehicles to be exempt from the EU’s combustion engine ban, which will come into force in 2035.
The EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Indian government also did not respond to a request for comment made outside normal office hours.. Brazil presents this commitment as a key pillar of its Action Agenda for COP30, as it seeks to focus climate negotiations on the implementation of the promises already made. The country is also working on a Carbon Markets Coalition that seeks to harmonize the standards of the different national systems.
