The Executive Director of NEDGIA, Nuria Rodríguez, together with the CEOs of GREDF (France), Edouard Sauvage, Distrigaz Sud Retele (Romania), Dan Pantilie, Italgas (Italy), Pablo Gallo, and Galp Gás Natural Distribuição (Portugal), Gabriel Sousa, met in Brussels earlier today with the EU Transport Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, to present the advantages of natural gas and renewable gas for the decarbonisation of transport in Europe.
One day after the workshop organised by the Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S) coalition on the contribution from natural gas and renewable gas to the decarbonisation of transport, they took the opportunity to present various success stories to EU Commissioner, Violeta Bulc, about cities that opted for gas-based solutions for urban mobility, and demonstrate that, in the modern context, this option represents a real solution for reducing emissions in transport.
The CEOs from these distribution companies asked the commissioner to consider the potential of natural gas and renewable gas for expediting the decarbonisation of transport and allowing the European Union to achieve its climate goals.
The representatives from the gas distribution companies made the following key requests:
– Application of technology neutrality to all policies in order to guarantee effective decarbonisation in the transport sector: All technologies should be considered equal for guaranteeing more realistic comparisons of the environmental impact of the various fuels.
– Development of an emissions analysis that considers the entire life cycle of the fuel rather than a focus based on emissions from the exhaust pipe: in order to compare the environmental benefits of different energies, it is essential to consider the complete supply chain, including the effect of manufacturing and removing batteries in the case of electric vehicles.
– A coherent focus across European legislation on energy and mobility for the light vehicles segment: guaranteeing real consistency between the various legislations on mobility, energy and infrastructures.
The GD4S coalition believes in the potential of renewable gas as a reliable solution for the future of clean mobility in the EU. To meet the European climate targets for the transport sector, there is no need for a single solution but rather a combination of different and effective tools that can include electro-mobility and gas solutions.
About Gas Distributors for Sustainability (GD4S Coalition)
The GD4S Coalition is made up of five of the main gas distribution operators in France, Italy, Spain, Romania and Portugal. More than 86% of the gas-powered vehicles in Europe are in these countries and, between them, the five distribution companies supply natural gas to over 25 million consumers in Europe. GD4S is committed to being involved in cleaner mobility and energy in Europe and, for that to happen, there is a need to raise awareness about the potential of natural gas and renewable gas.