德国批准生物燃料法草案

Core Viewpoint - The German federal cabinet has approved a draft biofuel law that allows the continued use of food and feed crops as raw materials for biofuel production, marking a policy shift in the country [1] Group 1: Policy Changes - The new draft maintains the current level of food and feed raw material usage, reversing the previous government's plan to phase out such materials [1] - Starting in 2027, the use of palm oil will not count towards emission reduction targets due to environmental concerns related to palm oil production [1] Group 2: Regulatory Adjustments - The draft includes a key provision to limit the "double counting" practice for certain biofuel raw materials, which allows specific advanced or waste-based biofuels to earn double credits when meeting compliance targets [1] Group 3: Industry Impact - The German biofuel program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road traffic by blending biodiesel and bioethanol with fossil fuels, with oil companies required to meet reduction targets partially through biofuel usage [1] - The new draft is expected to support prices, as the continued use of food-related raw materials is seen as reassuring, while the end of "double counting" is viewed as a positive signal by German oilseed traders [1] Group 4: Legislative Process - This draft is part of the implementation of the EU Renewable Energy Directive into German domestic law, affecting sectors such as transportation, electricity, and heating [1] - The text of the draft has been delayed multiple times and is now submitted to the German Bundestag for approval [1]