Neste welcomes French government’s ambition to increase share of renewable energy in transport sector

Neste welcomed Dec. 21 the French government and Senate’s decision to increase the share of renewable energy within the overall energy consumption of the transport sector.

“This decision will pave the way for important steps forward in the efforts to combat climate change,” Neste stated.

In January 2024, the required minimum share of renewable energy will increase from 8.6 percent to 9.2 percent to further accelerate greenhouse-gas (GHG) emission reductions in the transport sector.

This increase comes as a welcomed solution to support the transport sector’s decarbonization roadmap in France and is in line with the EU's revised binding targets for renewable energy.

By 2030, 29 percent of the energy consumption in the transport sector of all member states will have to come from renewable sources, or achieve a 14.5 percent reduction in the sector’s GHG intensity through the use of renewables. 

“The ambition shown by the French government in increasing the required share of renewable energy in the transport sector in France is a great example of how environmental and industrial policies can be reconciled,” said Katja Wodjereck, Neste’s executive vice president of renewable products.

“In France, transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse-gas emissions, accounting for more than 30 percent of all such emissions,” Wodjereck added. “For France to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, all solutions are needed to reduce the emissions.”

Neste said its commitment to reduce the transport sector’s emissions was illustrated in November with the signing of agreements with two fuel distributors to sell Neste MY Renewable Diesel in the French market.