China's NEA published its first Green Fuels Development Report, showing roughly 8 million tonnes of oil-equivalent capacity across methanol, ammonia, SAF, ethanol, biodiesel and biogas. It also names its own challenges plainly: production costs remain 1.5-2x conventional fuel.
The European Parliament voted 388-248 to block a Commission proposal classifying soybean oil as high-ILUC-risk. Donau Soja argued the methodology failed to distinguish traceable European-origin oil. The vote blocks the act but doesn't resolve the underlying methodology dispute.
South Korea's draft rules make emissions targets mandatory for heavy trucks and buses from 2027, replacing the voluntary system, alongside tighter passenger vehicle standards. Manufacturers must cut heavy-duty emissions 30% by 2030, with new hydrogen combustion engine incentives.
Repsol, Toyota, BMW and Bosch launched a six-month Spain pilot testing renewable gasoline in unmodified vehicles, tracked via Bosch's Digital Fuel Twin system. The data is meant for EU policymakers weighing "technology neutrality" in the bloc's contested 2035 vehicle emissions rules.
Malaysia raised its biodiesel blend from B10 to B15, absorbing roughly 801,000 tonnes of palm oil while explicitly protecting export volumes. It follows Vietnam's E10 mandate and precedes Indonesia's B50, three Southeast Asian biofuel mandates within eight weeks, all citing energy security.
Vietnam rolled out a nationwide E10 mandate, requiring all gasoline sold to blend 10% ethanol. Domestic production covers only a quarter of the 100,000 cubic metres needed monthly, with imports filling the gap. It lands alongside a broader regional biofuel policy pickup.
Indonesia launched its mandatory B50 biodiesel mandate, raising palm-oil-based FAME content from 40% to 50%, framed as energy independence amid Middle East conflict. As the world's largest palm oil producer, the move pulls supply into fuel and away from export markets.
The promise of waste-based second-generation ethanol has yet to materialize. The only notable bright spot is Brazil, which offers the clearest commercial template for 2G ethanol.
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s new Land Sector and Removals Standard is likely to change how companies frame biofuels in corporate carbon reporting. Taking effect on 1 January 2027, the standard applies to agriculture and CO2 removal technologies, but not yet to forestry.
Japan’s road transport transition is often framed as a contest between battery-electric vehicles and the internal combustion engine. In practice, the decision facing conservative Japanese motorists looks more complicated.
Vietnam’s latest increase in biofuel sales reflects more than short-term demand movement. It marks a stronger execution phase in the country’s transport fuel policy.
Thailand’s latest fuel price increase underscores the limits of the country’s long-used Oil Fuel Fund and highlights the lack of a settled long-term framework for alternative fuels.
