WSC response to the Public Consultation on the revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).
The submission in summary:
WSC recommends that the Commission amends current fuel multipliers in a manner that would make the supply of renewable fuels to shipping be incentivised to the same degree as road and rail, at a minimum.
WSC believes we should enable the use of low-carbon renewable and alternative fuels while not stunting the investments necessary to transition to low and zerocarbon fuels that may take longer to reach appropriate technology readiness levels.
Any fuel use obligations on shipping lines that may arise from FuelEU must be matched by supply side commitments and dedicated capacity. To meet those requirements, minimum shares or quotas of renewable and low carbon fuels, including renewable hydrogen, supply-side quotas and market-based support schemes as proposed in the consultation should all be considered.
Promoting the uptake of alternative fuels that are immediately available is appropriate, but the principal objective should remain focused on the development and introduction of zero-carbon fuels and technologies. This is imperative if we are to see the introduction of zero-emission ships in the 2030s and the achievement of EU climate objectives.
It would be beneficial to rationalise and merge future certificates incorporating the attributes of GOs, under one EU standard.
WSC encourages the Commission to make research and development into technologies necessary to use carbon-neutral, low-carbon, and zero-carbon fuels a key element of its GHG strategy and its planning with respect to renewable and alternative fuels. This is a critical strategic issue that should be addressed as a matter of priority. These efforts may also be linked to efforts under consideration globally such as the proposal in the IMO to establish an International Maritime Research and Development Board (IMRB).