Renewable energy share mandates (RED)

Since 2009, the European Union (EU) has been actively promoting the use of renewable energy in transport through the 10% renewable energy share target for transport (RED I, Renewable Energy Directive). Until 2020, it was mainly food crop based biofuels (biodiesel and bioethanol) which played the role of the main renewable alternatives to fossil fuels, due to lower production costs compared to non food crop biofuels, renewable electricity and hydrogen deployment in transport. Moreover, there were no initiatives to use renewable fuels in the aviation sector.

In 2018, the EU revised the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and set new targets for 2030. The renewable energy share target was increased to 14%, and there is a special target for advanced biofuel