Air pollution: E10 introduction would equate taking 700,000 cars off the road, report says

The report documents the results of an inquiry launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Bioethanol into E10 introduction
Lucas Davies via Unsplash
Edwina Langley17 July 2019

In the battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, introducing E10 would equate taking 700,000 cars off the road, a new report has claimed.

Produced by The All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Bioethanol, it states that the introduction of E10 - a biofuel made up of 90% petrol and 10% ethanol - could not only support the UK in its efforts to meet carbon emissions targets, but also, potentially help address the country's air quality issues and the associated risks to health.

Britain is lagging behind other countries in its attempts to fight climate change, the report claims, with the national switch to electric vehicles 'decades away'.

Furthermore, Britain risks losing its bioethanol industry entirely - valued by the report at £1 billion - if rapid action is not taken to introduce the biofuel by 2020, it adds.

The report summarises the results of an inquiry, launched by the APPG in March, to assess the 'lack of progress' allegedly made by the Department for Transport concerning the introduction of E10.

Ethanol absorbs carbon dioxide, meaning E10 has the potential to offset carbon emissions, even more so than most unleaded petrol sold in the UK, which contains only up to 5% ethanol.

"Through this Inquiry, we have sought to surface and explore the facts - taking written and oral evidence from the widest possible range of stakeholders from fuel producers and farmers – in order to identify concerns which stand in the way of introducing E10 in the U," the APPG Chair Nic Dakin said.

A DfT spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting cleaner and greener fuels, and we recognise the important role they have to play in decarbonising transport.

“Following our call for evidence on E10, we intend to publish our next steps in due course.”