Deutsche Umwelthilfe criticizes removal of e-kerosene quota for aviation
Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) criticizes the German government's decision to abolish the quota for electricity-based fuels in air traffic. The organization warns that this slows down the necessary scaling up of e-kerosene production.
Berlin – The German environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has criticized the federal cabinet's decision to abolish the so-called Power-to-Liquid (PtL) quota for air traffic. This quota was intended to mandate a certain percentage of electricity-based fuels, such as e-kerosene, in aviation from 2026 onwards.
The DUH argues that this decision obstructs the urgently needed scaling up of production for essential renewable aviation fuels. The organization also points out that the cabinet's draft law postpones the revision of the greenhouse gas reduction quota (THG quota), an instrument that has been criticized for creating incentives for climate-damaging fuels for years.
"When the national quota for e-kerosene in air traffic is abolished, and at the same time, the introduction of a quota for hydrogen and e-fuels in road transport within the greenhouse gas reduction quota (THG quota) is being discussed, something is going terribly wrong," said Jürgen Resch, Federal Managing Director of DUH.
Resch emphasized that green hydrogen and e-fuels are extremely scarce and expensive, and should be reserved for sectors like aviation and shipping where alternatives are limited. For road transport, he stated, the government must finally prioritize direct electrification, reform the THG quota accordingly, and decide on a complete phase-out of agricultural fuels as well as a strict limitation of fuels derived from waste and residues.