CLECAT WELCOMES THE SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT INVESTMENT PLAN AS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
The European Commission’s publication on Thursday this week of the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) marks a step towards accelerating the energy transition in Europe’s transport sector, particularly for shipping and aviation. CLECAT welcomes the STIP’s recognition of the need for increased investment in clean fuels and its identification of possible next steps and concrete action points. The plan prioritises the production of renewable and low-carbon fuels in Europe as a matter of urgency for achieving net zero and reducing energy dependencies.
The STIP sets out a framework to unlock financing and mobilise investments through existing EU instruments such as InvestEU, the Innovation Fund, the Hydrogen Bank, and Horizon Europe, aiming to generate at least €2.9 billion in support by 2027. The Commission estimates that 20 million tonnes of sustainable alternative fuels will be needed by 2035 for the aviation and maritime sectors combined.
While the plan represents a step in the right direction, CLECAT regrets that it does not include a Book & Claim mechanism, a critical tool to facilitate the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and support the scaling-up of production. The absence of such a system delays the creation of a credible and traceable framework to match SAF production with demand. CLECAT also notes that the current level of public investment, around €3.5 billion compared to estimated needs of €100 billion by 2035, remains insufficient to seriously develop a competitive European SAF and clean fuels market.
CLECAT will discuss the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan at the upcoming meeting of its Sustainable Logistics Institute next week in Brussels.