The European Parliament voted 388-248 to block a Commission proposal classifying soybean oil as a high indirect land-use change risk feedstock under the Renewable Energy Directive. The Commission's evidence cited global soybean expansion in Latin America, South-East Asia and West Africa; Donau Soja argued this failed to distinguish traceable, certified European-origin oil. The vote blocks this specific act but doesn't resolve the underlying methodology dispute.

South Korea's Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has published draft rules making emissions targets mandatory for heavy trucks and buses from 2027, replacing the voluntary system, alongside tighter passenger vehicle standards. Manufacturers must cut heavy-duty vehicle emissions 30% by 2030, with new incentives for hydrogen combustion engines and a pilot mechanism letting automakers offset emissions via renewable electricity use. Open for consultation until 14 Septemb

Repsol, Toyota, BMW and Bosch have launched a six-month Spain pilot testing renewable gasoline in existing vehicles, tracked via Bosch's digital certification system. The companies are explicit the data is meant for EU policymakers, feeding into a live fight over the bloc's 2035 combustion engine rules, where the Commission has proposed softening the target with e-fuel and biofuel offsets.

Malaysia has raised its biodiesel blend rate from B10 to B15, produced across 19 licensed plants, expected to consume roughly 801,000 tonnes of crude palm oil annually while leaving exports untouched. The move follows Vietnam's E10 ethanol mandate and precedes Indonesia's B50 biodiesel launch by a month, giving Southeast Asia three biofuel mandate increases within eight weeks, all citing the same driver: reducing exposure to Middle East-linked oil price volatility.

Vietnam has rolled out a nationwide mandate requiring all gasoline sold to be blended into E10 (10% ethanol), replacing conventional RON95. The country's ethanol demand of roughly 100,000 cubic metres a month currently outstrips domestic production, with the gap met through imports. The move lands alongside Indonesia's B50 mandate as part of a broader regional pivot toward biofuels, though some environmental groups warn the trend risks pushing up food prices if demand keeps r

Indonesia has begun nationwide rollout of its mandatory B50 biodiesel programme, raising palm-oil-based FAME content in diesel from 40% to 50%. The government cites foreign exchange savings of up to USD 8.82 billion and reduced diesel import reliance as the rationale, framing it as energy independence amid the Middle East conflict. As the world's largest palm oil producer, Indonesia's move has direct consequences for regional palm oil markets and feedstock competition across