CoP30: Industry Reaction to "Belem 4x" Call for Quadrupling of Sustainable Fuels
Published:
Read Time: 4 mins
CEO of Future Biogas (and EU commission biomethane co-chair) available for comment or interview
Guildford, UK, 19 November 2025
Context
The Belém 4X initiative, launched at CoP30, calls for a commitment to quadruple the world’s use of sustainable fuels by 2035. The target is based on conclusions within Delivering Sustainable Fuels, a report by the International Energy Agency.
Proposed by Brazil – the COP30 host and one of the world’s leading producers of biofuel – the Belém 4X commitment has been adopted by 23 countries so far, including Canada, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands. The UK, however, has not signed up to the initiative.
Immediate industry reaction
Please see the quote, below, from Philipp Lukas: CEO of Future Biogas; board member of the European Biogas Association; co-chair of the EU Commission’s Biomethane Industrial Partnership; and member of the UK Renewable Energy Association’s Green Gas Steering Group.
“Sustainable fuels will be essential to meeting the UK’s long-term energy needs, particularly for hard-to-decarbonise applications in industry, and transport – such as cement, glass, shipping and air travel. We fully agree the need for a strategic expansion in their production and use, and welcome the core message of the Belém 4X commitment.
“However, not all biofuels are created equally, and we recognise concerns that large-scale, intensive production of monoculture fuel crops is not a truly sustainable model. We believe that regenerative agriculture – including multiple plant species, crop rotation, soil enrichment and circular relationships with local farmers – should be fundamental to all biofuel production.
“Multiple studies show that rotational and sequential growing of fuel and food crops can improve yields and resilience; helping protect farmers and energy consumers from the effects of climate change. It’s essential that low or even negative carbon biofuels, such as biomethane from our BioEnergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) process, must be produced in harmony with food in fully sustainable, long-term partnerships.”
Key findings of the International Energy Agency report:
· Sustainable fuels – including liquid biofuels, biogases, low-emissions hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels – offer multiple benefits for the energy sector
· Greater use of sustainable fuels can bolster energy security by diversifying fuel supply and reducing fossil-fuel import dependence
· Sustainable fuels can be a catalyst for economic development, particularly in emerging and developing economies
· With well-designed policies, sustainable fuels can achieve major lifecycle emissions reductions compared with conventional fuels
· Liquid and gaseous renewable fuels already play a visible role in today’s global energy landscape
· If existing and announced policies are implemented, a fourfold increase in the global use of sustainable fuels by 2035 is ambitious yet achievable
Broader commentary and editorial
Philipp and his senior bio-scientists and engineers are also available for commentary, interviews, podcasts or by-lined articles on themes such as:
· Why rotational crops and regenerative farming underpin a sustainable biogas future
· How biomethane can deliver billions of pounds in system savings and strengthen UK energy security
· Why policy (including UK ETS reform) is now the limiting factor, not feedstock availability
· How biogas strengthens food security by supporting more resilient farming
· The role of biomethane in delivering greenhouse gas removals and low carbon fertiliser alternatives
Ends
Editors notes
About Philipp Lukas
Philipp Lukas is the founder and CEO of Future Biogas, one of the UK’s largest biomethane producers. Since 2010, Philipp has led the development of 12 plants across the UK, making Future Biogas a pioneer in unsubsidised, sustainable green gas. A qualified corporate lawyer with over 25 years’ experience in renewables, Philipp is a board member of the European Biogas Association, co-chaired the EU Commission’s Biomethane Industrial Partnership, and sat on the UK REA Green Gas Steering Group.
About Future Biogas
Future Biogas is a UK leader in the development and operation of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants that produce clean, sustainable biomethane. By converting locally sourced home-grown energy crops into renewable gases, Future Biogas supports local farmers, a circular economy and the transition to a low-carbon future. With a focus on innovation, sustainability, and rural partnerships, Future Biogas enables organisations to reduce emissions, enhance energy security, and meet net zero goals through reliable, scalable, and environmentally responsible biogas solutions that can displace fossil fuels today without the need to replace expensive equipment today. Future Biogas operates 12 industrial-scale biogas plants in the UK. Biogas can either be used to generate green electricity or upgraded into biomethane and injected into the UK’s national gas network. Future Biogas is owned by 3i Infrastructure and RWE Energy Transition Investments.
About Biogas and biomethane
Biogas is produced by the fermentation of organic matter in anaerobic digestion tanks. Biomethane is biogas from which the by-product carbon dioxide has been removed, giving the biomethane the same molecular properties as natural gas, and enabling it to be injected into the national gas grid. In Future Biogas' plants the feedstocks will have a zero or negative carbon footprint meaning the biomethane is a 100% renewable energy, allowing a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy crops grown for Future Biogas absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂) from atmosphere during their growth. Once harvested and stored, the energy crops are fed into anaerobic digestion tanks where bacteria break down the organic matter in the absence of oxygen, releasing biogas. The residue is an organic fertiliser (digestate) which in conjunction with changes to the farming rotation helps accelerate soil carbon capture and improve future crop yields.
Press contacts
Justin Heath or Rhiannon Day
Resonates PR
Tel. +44 1635 898698
