From Policy To Pushback, India’s ‘Greenlash’ Over Ethanol-Blended Petrol

In July this year, the Indian government announced that it had achieved its goal of 20% ethanol blending in petrol (E20) five years ahead of the 2030 deadline. The announcement triggered a series of debates including online protests, RTI requests seeking clarity on blend ratios, and even a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, with many arguing that the rollout was rushed and opaque. Criticism also came in from vehicle owners reporting reduced fuel efficiency and vehicle compatibility as well as concerns about no non-blended options. Union Ministers of Road Transport and Petroleum, Nitin Gadkari and Hardeep Singh Puri, dismissed the criticism of the programme as “vested interests” and “fear-mongering.”

Around the same time, in July, the Delhi government stopped fuel access to petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. Many raised their concerns around this order as well. On August 12, the Supreme Court had to intervene to prevent police from taking coercive action against vehicle owners.

Such backlash against environmental regulations reflects a growing global pattern called greenlash, a term popularised by Italian political scientist Nathalie Tocci to describe societal and political resistance to environmental policies.

In 2018, for example, French President Emmanuel Macron faced mass protests after his government attempted to raise the carbon tax. Public anger over rising fuel prices forced him to halt the plan. In Europe, the planned phase-out of new internal combustion engine (ICE) cars by 2035 has also provoked resistance. While the European Parliament approved the ban, Germany secured an exemption for cars running on synthetic fuels (e-fuels). There are several other examples as well.

Researchers point to common drivers behind such resistance. Jens Ewald, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Economics at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said, “A few common drivers are lack of transparency about costs and benefits, perceptions of unfairness — for example, that some groups bear more of the burden than others — and abrupt or poorly communicated rollouts.” Without public trust, he warned, even well-designed measures risk backlash, reversal, or delay. He has conducted several studies to understand people’s resistance to green policies.

Magnus Bergquist, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg, added, “In a recent series of experimental studies, I found that perceived unfairness is a stronger barrier to supporting environmental policies than perceived ineffectiveness or perceived cost. Moreover, when a policy is perceived as unfairly implemented and unfairly distributed (uneven costs), it erodes trust in policymakers.” Bergquist has also conducted a study to explore the factors shaping people’s opinions on climate taxes and laws.

Mapping India’s rollout

The ethanol-in-petrol programme has a long history in India. It began with a pilot project introducing 5% ethanol-blended petrol in 2001 and was formalised as the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme in 2003. Following a 2006 notification that extended the 5% EBP to more states, progress remained slow, with an average blending rate between 0.1% and 1.5% until the 2013–14 period.

It gained momentum in 2014, through several interventions, including an administered price mechanism for ethanol, the National Policy on Biofuels, which was introduced in 2018 and amended in 2022, a lower GST on ethanol, and a 2021 roadmap with clear blending targets. India reached a 10% blending target in 2022 (five months ahead of schedule), advanced the E20 target from 2030 to 2025, and in July announced that it had achieved the E20 goal.

Despite the longstanding development of these policies, consumers say they were not informed about the ethanol percentages used in their vehicles. A 48-year-old Dinesh Singh, a resident of Sector 50, Noida, owns a Maruti Desire, which he bought in 2016. He said that he had a feeling his fuel spending had increased over the last year or so, but he thought it was due to the car’s age. When he saw people writing on social media about ethanol blending and how it is affecting their cars, it occurred to him. “Now, it makes sense to me as well. I was not even aware that I was using ethanol in my car,” he said.

There are many like him. Without mandatory display of blending levels or visible price benefits, public attention only surged after the government’s E20 announcement, prompting widespread social media complaints about reduced mileage.

For example, car reviewer Amit Khare, who runs the popular YouTube channel Ask CarGuru, published a video, highlighting consumer concerns, which drew thousands of comments, many of which described declining mileage after using E20.

While noting the possibility of lower mileage, ministers say regular servicing can address this issue and point to other causes, such as driving habits. They cite a 2021 NITI Aayog report, which estimates a 6% average decrease in mileage with the addition of more ethanol to the fuel.

The Ministry of Petroleum attempted to clarify on social media on August 4, but its statement was contested by users. Later, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in a detailed statement on August 12, defended the policy as a bridge fuel that reduces pollution, supports rural incomes, eliminates sugarcane arrears, and improves maize cultivation. He even linked higher farm incomes to a decline in farmer suicides.

Consumer pushback continues. A private used-car dealer recently tested a 10-year-old Maruti Suzuki Dzire (not rated for E20) and reported a 35% drop in mileage with E20 compared to regular petrol. Consumers have also raised questions about warranties, insurance, and compensation for wear and tear, given that they were never clearly informed about the type of fuel they were receiving. Additionally, their user manual, provided with the car, doesn’t recommend using E20 petrol.

Mongabay India’s review of owners’ manuals found that many explicitly warn against ethanol blends above 10%. For example, the 2015 Maruti Celerio’s user manual and the 2018 Vitara Brezza manual allow only up to E10, whereas the 2018 Hyundai Creta manual warns against blends higher than 10% and restricts the use of methanol. Some newer models (2020 onward) are rated for E20. Mongabay India reached out to Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra and Mahindra, and a few others for their response, but received no response at the time of publishing.

While explaining the reasons behind growing consumer concerns, Ashwin Kak, Partner – Circular Economy at Intellecap, an advisory organisation, noted that in countries like the United States and Brazil, consumers were given both a choice and a gradual upgrade of vehicle infrastructure. “Both of these elements now also need to happen in India,” he said.

Ewald also discussed ways to address these concerns. “Gradual rollouts, such as Sweden’s introduction of the carbon tax, can help build acceptance. Earmarking revenues to highlight visible benefits, or to offset distributional concerns, can also increase trust and correct misperceptions.”

Profit or planet?

Ethanol is promoted in India as a bridge fuel serving both environmental and economic goals. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri noted that blending ethanol in petrol by oil marketing companies since 2014-15 to July 2025 saved more than ₹1.44 trillion in foreign exchange, substituted about 24.5 million metric tonnes of crude oil, and reduced CO₂ emissions by around 73.6 million metric tonnes, equivalent to planting 300 million trees.

Many online users have questioned these claims by comparing reduced mileage, which suggests they are buying more fuel. Meanwhile, India has registered growth in both crude oil imports and exports of petroleum products since 2014.

The latest addition to the ethanol story occurred on September 24, when Gadkari advocated for ethanol exports, citing India’s rising production capacity, which had reached approximately 18.22 billion litres annually by June 2025. The NITI Aayog report earlier projected that to sustain E20 blending, India would need a capacity of 15 billion litres by 2025–26. With current output already surpassing that target, the country now appears to have surplus capacity.

But this expansion raises environmental concerns. A December 2024 policy brief by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a non-profit think tank, highlighted trade-offs linked to large-scale ethanol production. Drawing on U.S. research, where maize is a primary ethanol feedstock, it noted that the ethanol push has contributed to rising maize prices, increased fertiliser use, higher emissions from land-use changes, and an overall spike in the carbon intensity of maize-based ethanol.

CSTEP projected similar risks for India. If half of the demand for E20 is met through maize, it would require about eight million additional hectares, potentially converting fallow and forest land into cultivation unless maize yields rise significantly. If sugarcane alone were to supply the demand, an additional 3.5 million hectares would be needed, which would raise water withdrawals by up to 60 billion cubic metres annually in drought-prone regions. “Instead, sustaining the E10 blend offers fewer trade-offs while retaining the benefits of ethanol blending,” the brief stated.

Experts caution that the original rationale of ethanol blending was energy security and reduced emissions. These goals must not be lost in the race to expand capacity. Ignoring local consumer concerns and environmental impacts, they warn, could cause long-term damage. They also emphasised the need for local studies.

Kak pointed out that India’s conditions differ significantly from those of other countries. “Our feedstock ranges from irrigated sugarcane to maize, as compared to a rain-fed sugarcane in Brazil or starch-based corn in the USA. Because of these complexities, ethanol blending requires local studies for the cost-benefit analysis and options available for the consumers,” he explained.

Echoing this, Ewald also emphasised the importance of clear communication. “India should keep in mind the importance of clearly explaining the benefits — both environmental (reduced emissions, better air quality) and economic (avoided climate damages, improved energy security). A gradual rollout can also be wise, giving people time to adapt and helping to build the trust that is essential for long-term success,” he said.

(Published under Creative Commons from Mongabay India)