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The share of energy from renewable sources used for road and rail transport in the European Union increased from less than 2% in 2005 to 12% in 2025, according to preliminary EEA data. Renewable sources include biofuels, renewable electricity, or hydrogen and synthetic fuels of renewable origin. In 2025, the share of energy from renewable sources in transport varies greatly among the EU Member States, ranging from 2% in Croatia to up to 34.9% in Sweden.
Figure 1. Share of energy from renewable sources in transport in Europe (2005-2025)
The share of renewable sources in the transport sector has increased consistently since 2005, reaching an estimated share of 12% in 2025 according to preliminary estimates from the EEA. The ongoing growth of renewable energy uptake in transport is largely driven by increasingly ambitious targets established by the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
The 2009 RED set a target for each Member State to ensure that by 2020, at least 10% of the final consumption of energy used in transport comes from renewable sources. In 2020, 10.3% of the total energy used in the transport sector came from renewable sources, following a steady increase in this share since 2005, when it was just under 2%. Therefore, the 2020 target of 10% was reached at the EU level.
Following this successful achievement of the 2020 target, the new Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU (RED II) strengthened the sustainability criteria for bioenergy and set a new goal for 2030 by increasing the target for renewable energy in transport to at least 14% by 2030.
The subsequent 2023 revision (2023/2413/EU) introduced alternative compliance pathways for EU Member States. Under the revised legislation, Member States can choose to opt for either a binding target of a 14.5% reduction of greenhouse gas intensity in transport or a binding share of at least 29% of renewables within the final consumption of energy in the transport sector by 2030. Member States may therefore comply through either a greenhouse gas intensity reduction target or a renewable energy share target, meaning progress cannot be assessed solely against a single EU-wide percentage.
Preliminary EEA estimates suggest that renewables accounted for 12% of total transport energy use in 2025, leaving the EU around 2 percentage points below the 14% transport target originally established under RED II for 2030.
Furthermore, as part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, the Commission adopted the ReFuelEU aviation and FuelEU maritime regulations which aim to boost the uptake of renewable and low carbon fuels in these transport modes. This should additionally support the achievement of the renewable energy targets.
Figure 2. Share of energy from renewable sources used in transport by country
The uptake of renewable energy sources for transport varies greatly among EU Member States. Sweden and Finland show the highest estimated shares of renewable energy in 2025, with 34.9% and 24.2% respectively. Sweden's high share reflects improvements in energy efficiency, the extensive use of biofuels and rapid electrification of its vehicle fleet (Fossil Free Sweden). Denmark, with the fifth highest share, recorded the highest share of newly registered electric cars in the EU (EEA). Croatia has the lowest share of renewable energy in transport in the EU at 2%. The Energy Community Contracting Parties, represented here by Georgia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Moldova, also reported low shares of renewable energy in transport in 2025.
In 2025, the EU collectively achieved an estimated share of renewable energy in transport of 12 %. The revised EU target of 14%, to be achieved by 2030, had already been reached by the Netherlands, Denmark, and Austria, based on preliminary estimates. Portugal, Germany, and Italy had an estimated share that was very close to 14%.