Climate Group and the Under2 Coalition’s ZEV Community has outlined what sub-national governments need to do to boost the transition to zero-emission trucks in a new report.
The report has been released following trucks being a significant contributor to air pollution, accounting for 40% of emissions but just 4% of road users. As a result, tackling the issue is critical for governments to meet Paris Agreement targets.
The study sets out phase out dates for petrol and diesel engines: 2030 for buses and 2040 for trucks.
These should be supported by other legally binding policies like the ambitious CO2 Standards for Trucks Regulation in the EU and Advanced Clean Trucks legislation in California, it said.
It also encourages governments to engage with businesses, such as those in Climate Group’s EV100+ zero emission trucking initiative, in order to unlock private finance and investment.
In addition, it calls for engagement and collaboration with utility companies to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure.
To power the transition, Climate Group also underlines the importance of engaging and working closely with utility companies to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure, map future energy demand and to streamline the planning and permitting process – which is often subject to delay.
Dominic Phinn, Head of Transport, Climate Group said:
“Latest figures show that trucks are responsible for 5% of total global CO2 emissions, and this is predicted to increase to over 11% by 2050 if these huge emitters aren’t decarbonised – trucks already emit more CO2 than the aviation and shipping sectors combined.
“But fast action is possible. Subnational governments should work hand in glove with businesses to fast-track the transition, clean up our air and decarbonise our roads.”
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