The European Parliament on Thursday supported 7, historical rules on aviation fuel that set mandatory targets for the replacement of kerosene with less polluting energy sources, but expanded the definition of what could be a "green" fuel.

The requirements, which if approved would be unheard of in the world, were originally proposed by the European Executive Committee last year to reduce the climate impact of the aviation sector, which is considered responsible for up to 3% of global emissions.

According to the approved text, suppliers would be required to mix a minimum of 2% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in kerosene from 2025, rising to 85% by 2050 -- more ambitious than the 63% target by 2050 originally proposed by the Commission.

Under the original Commission proposal, the SAF would include biofuels obtained from recycled waste and, to a lesser extent, hydrogen-based synthetics or fuels produced from renewable energy sources.

But the version of the rules adopted by the European Parliament extended the Commission's original definition of SAF by adding recycled carbon fuels produced from waste processing gas and biofuels produced from animal fats or distillates.

Before the vote, The European Union's energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, urged parliamentarians not to broaden the definition of APS and be careful of overly ambitious targets.

Parliamentarians were able to amend the text at the last minute to exclude the use of food crops and palm oil as SAFs, which would have been allowed in exceptional circumstances in the text initially prepared by Parliament.

The rules will now be submitted for approval by the member governments and the Commission of the European Union.

Source: udop