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EU agrees to cut truck emissions

The European Union has reached an agreement to set strict CO2 emissions standards for trucks.

New truck CO2 emissions must be 30 percent lower in 2030 than current emissions standards, according to the provisional agreement. It’s the first time the EU has set any sort of standard on truck CO2 emissions.

The emissions proposal was first presented in May 2018. As an interim goal, truck emissions should be 15 percent lower by 2025. The EU also reserves the right to review the 2030 goals in 2022.

The EU set its car and van emissions standards in December 2018. New cars sold in 2030 must emit 37.5 percent less carbon dioxide on average compared to 2021 levels. Emissions from new vans must be 31 percent lower. As an interim goal, the EU agreed to a 15 percent reduction in emissions from cars and vans by 2025.

As an overall long-term target, the EU aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Reducing vehicle emissions is a massive part of reaching that goal. Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said: 

“With the first-ever EU emission standards for trucks agreed, we are completing the legal framework to reach the European target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030. The European Parliament and Council have reached an ambitious and balanced agreement. The new targets and incentives will help tackle emissions, as well as bring fuel savings to transport operators and cleaner air for all Europeans. For the EU industry, this is an opportunity to embrace innovation towards zero-emission mobility and further strengthen its global leadership in clean vehicles.”

Moving On

The regulation must still be formally approved by the European Parliament and Council, though no issues are expected. Upon approval, the regulation “will immediately enter into force.”

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) expressed concerns over the new standards, calling the reduction targets “highly ambitious.” The group is most concerned about the availability of proper charging infrastructure, noting that “currently there is no public charging or refueling infrastructure suitable for electric or hydrogen trucks whatsoever.”

ACEA Secretary General Erik Jonnaert said,

“We can now only call upon member states to urgently step up their efforts to roll-out the infrastructure required for charging and refuelling the alternatively-powered trucks which will need to be sold en masse if these targets are to be met.”

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