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filling stations are to clearly identify biofuel
content of road fuel to increase awareness among
drivers
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uniform EU-wide labels will also prevent drivers from
filling up with the wrong fuel abroad
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biofuels supplied in the UK reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by over 70% compared to fossil fuels, helping combat
climate change
Drivers are being urged to think more carefully about the
environmental impacts of their journeys through a
new government
campaign launching today (6 June 2019).
From today, filling stations across the UK will start rolling out
new labels, which will help educate drivers on the benefits of
biofuels.
Petrol, which contains up to 5% renewable ethanol, will be
labelled ‘E5’, while diesel, which contains up to 7% biodiesel,
will be labelled as ‘B7’.
This is the latest step in the government’s drive to get
consumers thinking more actively about the environmental impact
of their transport choices, and follows a commitment
to end the sale of diesel and
petrol cars by 2040, set out in the Road to Zero strategy.
, Transport Minister, said:
Drivers should be aware of the environmental impact of their
travel choices, and seeing this when they are buying fuel can
help remind them why decarbonising transport is so important.
Biofuels are a key way of achieving the emissions reductions
the UK needs, and their use reduced CO2 emissions by 2.7
million tonnes last year alone – the equivalent of taking
around 1.2 million cars off the road.
Our new campaign will help drivers understand the role of
biofuels, while also choosing the right fuel for their vehicle
at home and abroad.
Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90%
compared to fossil fuels, and the campaign is set to highlight
the crucial role that they will play during the transition to
electric vehicles. Last year, 1.6 billion litres of renewable
transport fuels were supplied in the UK.
Erik Rietkirk, CEO of Argent Energy, said:
These labels are crucial for informing the public about what
the UK is doing to decarbonise transport.
Making the most of the huge environmental benefits of
sustainable biofuels makes complete sense, and can help reduce
emissions during the transition to a low carbon future.
Biofuels are made from a range of materials, including oil, fats,
and grease waste, which are often recovered from sewage systems
and water treatment works.
As even greener fuels, such as E10 - a petrol grade with up to
10% renewable ethanol - come onto the market, the labels are set
to have an increasingly important role to play in raising
consumer awareness of alternatives to traditional fuel.
The campaign follows a government push to help people make more
conscious transport choices and understand how these contribute
to greenhouse gas emissions, such as encouraging the use of
cleaner vehicles.
These include a commitment to end the sale of new conventional
diesel and petrol cars and vans by 2040, investment in hybrid
trains, the doubling of investment in cycling and walking since
2010, along with the £2.5 billion Transforming Cities
Fund which will develop innovative public transport
schemes in some of England’s biggest cities.
