Keys to success

Key points

The following factors would facilitate development of biofuel projects in Switzerland:

·        awareness among players that there are good and bad production chains for biofuels (rather than good and bad feedstocks), and of the need to favour sustainable products

·        encouragement of strict environmental and social criteria at the same time as economic requirements (possible use of a quality label)  

·        agreements with agricultural players aimed at the possible use of low-value products or co-products (wastes, surpluses, and downgraded products)

·        quick launch of second generation technologies that can process highly varied, low cost sources of lignocellulosic feedstocks (agricultural waste, wood waste, green waste, etc.)

·        active participation of the oil industry in blending operations (installation of necessary equipment in oil depots)  

·        economic promotion of petrol/ethanol blends, notably by allocating part of the revenues obtained from the “climate cent” tax  

·        introduction of a CO₂ tax, which will increase ethanol’s competitiveness, as will any measure leading to an increase in the price of petrol.   

The new Law on mineral oil taxation is already an important tool for the promotion of biofuels.