Advanced biofuels, biomethane and electric vehicles could out-compete conventional transport options like gasoline by 2020 if support policies are enhanced and expanded, said a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Wednesday.

The report, "Road Transport: The Cost of Renewable Solutions," released on the occasion of the annual meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), said the signs are encouraging, but continued research and development, funded by both public and private sources, remains essential.

Continued investments in recharging stations for electric cars and refueling stations for biomethane vehicles are also important, it said.

But policy changes and short-sighted reactions to budgetary constraints could undermine important achievements to ready the transport sector for a sustainable energy future, it said.

IRENA's Director-General Adnan Amin said that delaying or rolling back support and infrastructural investment for these renewable technologies at this stage would endanger the progress made towards aspirational targets for future years.

Renewable energy use is low in the transport sector, accounting for only 2.5 percent of energy consumption for all types of transport, and 3.3 percent for road transport.

Conventional biofuels have suffered due to price volatility of their feedstocks, which are closely tied to food crops.

Advanced biofuels, with less linkage to food prices, are just starting to be produced at commercial scale and need further support for research, development and deployment to find the least-cost technologies. Endi

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