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Draft Legislation: The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2021

I have today published the draft Statutory Instrument “The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2021” and accompanying Explanatory Memorandum.

Renewable transport fuels already make a substantial contribution towards meeting UK carbon budgets and will continue to play an important role in meeting the UK’s increasingly ambitious future carbon reduction targets. In 2019, the use of renewable fuel supplied under the RTFO saved approximately 5.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to taking 2.5 million cars off the road.

This Statutory Instrument amends The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007(SI2007/3072). The statutory instrument will help further increase carbon savings by increasing renewable fuels targets and expanding the RTFO to sectors with limited alternatives to decarbonise, such as maritime.

The Statutory Instrument is published in accordance with the procedure required by Schedule 8 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and agreed with Parliament. This is because it includes amendments to The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations Order 2007, parts of which were previously amended by SIs made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. The Statutory Instrument is being published in draft at least 28 days before being laid for affirmative debate.

The Department consulted on these proposals between March and April 2021 in the paper “Targeting net zero ­Next steps for the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation”. The government response to that consultation and associated cost benefit analysis are available here.