IRU and FuelsEurope warn that the omission of road transport from the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) undermines the availability of sustainable fuels. With STIP presented last week, the European Commission is committing almost EUR 3 billion for sustainable aviation and maritime fuels by 2027. More importantly, it signals political endorsement for serious investment in clean fuels. IRU and FuelsEurope welcome the EU’s strategic recognition of the role of clean fuels in aviation and maritime and the policy and investment support they need to scale up. However, the missed opportunity of a complete plan that includes road is regrettable.
Why STIP should include road
Road transport, and in particular heavy-duty road transport, needs all viable decarbonisation tools
Electricity is an important pathway, but it is not universally usable or always the optimal solution – or even a solution – depending on the type of operation.
Moreover, the enabling conditions simply do not exist today in a consistent way across the EU. It will take at least a decade to align grid capacity, guaranteed power availability, and alternative fuels infrastructure throughout the EU.
IRU EU Director Raluca Marian said, “The European Commission continues to frame this as an either/or. It is not. Zero-emission vehicles and clean fuels can, and will, coexist. Clean fuels already deliver decarbonisation today and can do it at a larger scale anywhere in the EU if supported. Why ignore this in a comprehensive EU plan on transport sustainability?” (....)