Some major global businesses have banded together to publish ad send a letter to Members of the European Parlaiment and Environment Ministers urging them to increase the ambition of the European Commission’s proposal for a fast transition to zero emission trucks.
In the letter to European lawmakers, 41 businesses have called for more ambitious CO2 standards in 2030 and a phase-out date for polluting trucks. Greater ambition will lower the costs and accelerate the production of zero emissions trucks, they say, making it easier for these companies to adopt zero-emission trucks and clean up their fleets.
While truckmakers do already have voluntary commitments, the businesses signing the letter are urging Members of the European Parliament and governments across the EU to increase the 2030 CO2 emissions cut target from 45 per cent to 65 per cent, ensuring that regulatory ambitions are brought at least in line with voluntary ambition levels.
This would increase the number of green trucks on Europe’s roads in 2030 by more than 150,000 compared to the European Commission’s proposal, they say.
The signatory companies are also calling for a clear phase-out date after which 100 per cent of new trucks must be zero emission. With the lifecycle of a truck extending up to 18 years, a clear date needs to be set now to ensure the last polluting vehicles are off the road in time for the EU’s 2050 net-zero emissions target the letter states.
“All truck types should be subject to climate targets to ensure manufacturers ramp up zero-emission vehicle production across all segments,” the signatories assert.
The Commission’s proposal exempts some vehicle types including garbage and construction trucks and some urban delivery trucks, which are often easy to electrify and would benefit air quality in cities.
The letter wass signed by major companies, including WE WANT New A. P. Moller – Maersk A/S, APL logistics, Asstra Forwarding AG, Avere, Boekestijn Transport, Brightmerge, ChargePoint, Council for Sustainable Logistics (CNL), Colruyt, Contargo, Currys, Danfoss, DFDS, DPDHL, European Shippers Council, EV Box, Fixemer Logistics GmbH, Forto, Heineken, HMM Co Ltd, Integre Trans, Knauf Insulation, Kuehne and Nagel, Meyer & Meyer, Nestlé, Nike, Oatly Group, PepsiCo, Polish Chamber of E-mobility Development (PIRE), REE Automotive USA Inc., Samskip Multimodal, Schachinger Logistik, SEA Electric, Stolt Tank Containers BV, University Gustave Eiffel, VAI Capital, van der Wal, Vattenfall, Volta Trucks, Zeus Labs, Zilch Forwarding (formerly Scope3 pty/EmissionsIQ).
