The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional agreement strengthening carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) entering the EU market by 2030, as reported by ESG Today on January 18. The agreement sets ambitious carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction targets for HDVs at 45% for the period 2030-2034, 65% for 2035-2039, and 90% by 2040, compared to 2019 levels. In particular, new urban buses are required to cut emissions by 90% as of 2030 on 2019 levels, before reaching zero emissions by 2035. The new standards aim to facilitate the transition to zero-emission public transport across Europe, paving the way for the bloc’s 2050 climate neutrality objective. The agreement also sends a clear signal to automobile manufacturers, transport operators, and users to steer investments towards zero-emission technologies and accelerate the deployment of recharging and refueling infrastructure.

The new regulation has a wider scope compared to the initial rule proposed by the European Commission in February 2023, which ordered manufacturers to reduce the average emissions of new trucks by 45% by 2030, 65% by 2035, and 90% by 2040. In contrast, it now applies to smaller trucks, urban buses, coaches, and trailers to subject almost all HDVs to the emissions reduction targets. Meanwhile, it allows certain exemptions such as small-volume manufacturers and vehicles used for mining. Given that HDVs contribute to 6% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU and more than 25% from the road transport sector, the new rule has the potential to significantly improve air quality and contribute to the EU’s climate target.

Sources：

https://www.esgtoday.com/eu-lawmakers-agree-on-new-rules-to-reduce-emissions-from-trucks-by-90-by-2040/

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-council-parliament-agree-90-co2-emissions-cut-by-2040-trucks-2024-01-18/

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/eu-propose-90-cut-co2-emission-limits-trucks-2023-02-14/

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_287