In September 2009, both the European Union (EU) and G8 leaders agreed that CO2 emissions must be cut by 80% by 2050 if atmospheric CO2 is to stabilise at 450 parts per million – and global warming stay below the safe level of 2ºC. But 80% decarbonisation overall by 2050 may require 95% decarbonisation of the road transport sector.
According to a report published by the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE):
With the number of passenger cars set to rise to 273 million in Europe – and to 2.5 billion worldwide – by 2050, this may not be achievable through improvements to the traditional internal combustion engine or alternative fuels: the traditional combustion engine is expected to improve by 30%, so achieving full decarbonisation is not possible through efficiency alone.
There is also uncertainty as to whether large amounts of (sustainably produced) biofuels – i.e. more than 50% of demand – will be available for passenger cars, given the potential demand for biofuels6 from other sectors, such as goods vehicles, aviation, marine, power and heavy industry.
Combined with the increasing scarcity and cost of energy resources, it is therefore vital to develop a range of technologies that will ensure the long-term sustainability of mobility in Europe.
Enterprise Europe Network 
Posted on July 28, 2011 by Shak Gohir