The focus at COP 26 on Wednesday 10th November was Transport – where world leaders and delegates led discussions on how to achieve quick and significant reductions in global carbon emissions through changing the ways we get around. Within the conference, there appeared to be a heavy drive – pardon the pun – for electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen-powered ones. But has everyone overlooked a silver bullet? We think so, and it’s called HVO.
On Tuesday, Jake and Lauren caught up with ‘Other Oils’, a community-interest company steered – sorry again – by Steve Bond and Charlotte Higgins from Falmouth in Cornwall. Their aim? To “fuel change” by bringing fossil-free HVO to the general public across Cornwall and the UK, in turn helping to cut carbon and pollution whilst promoting more circular products.
HVO, or hydrotreated vegetable oil, is a like-for-like diesel replacement made out of various waste oils from the food industry, currently produced in Finland. Using HVO requires zero modifications to a vehicle’s diesel engine and results in a whopping 90% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, plus 30% reduction in air pollutants and nitrous oxide.
This all seemed too good to be true, so we were keen to chat to Steve and Charlotte all about HVO and why COP has appeared to leave it in the rear-view mirror – last one I promise!
You can watch our interview here:
Jake Causley, Lauren Beavis and The Team