EU Imposes A 30 Percent Reduction In Truck CO2 Emissions By 2030

The European Union has agreed to reduce emissions of CO2 from new trucks and buses by 30 per cent by the year 2030.

Reuters reports that the European Parliament and the Council agreed to the changes in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

In a statement, the European Commission said they will set an interim target of a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2025 and confirmed that incentives will be offered to manufacturers building low and zero-emission trucks. Moreover, the 2030 target will be reviewed in 2022.

“For the first time binding CO2-reduction targets for trucks at the EU-level, including a clear stimulus for zero and low-emission trucks,” Greens lawmaker Bas Eickhout said.

Also Read: EU Agrees To Cut CO2 Emissions By 37.5% By 2030

The EU doesn’t currently have limits on emissions from heavy-duty vehicles despite the fact that it agreed to reductions in emissions for passenger cars and vans in December. The bloc of 28 countries aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030 as part of the Paris climate accord.

Trucks make up less than five per cent of the vehicles on the roads but account for 22 per cent of vehicle emissions, environmental campaigners say.

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association replied that if the EU really wants to encourage truck manufacturers to build zero-emission vehicles, they have to improve charging and refueling infrastructure which currently supports very few commercial vehicles that are electric or run on hydrogen. Refueling stations for trucks powered by natural gas are also hard to come by.