New CO2 emission targets for EU’s heavy-duty vehicles
January 24, 2024
The EU Parliament and Council have agreed to new measures that will strengthen CO2 emission reduction targets for new heavy-duty vehicles. Negotiators have set targets for reducing CO2 emissions by 45% for the period 2030-2034, 65% for 2035-2039, and 90% by 2040. These targets will apply to large trucks (including vocational vehicles such as garbage trucks, tippers, and concrete mixers, as of 2035) as well as buses. The agreed targets for new urban buses include a reduction of 90% in emissions by 2030, and zero-emissions by 2035. Furthermore, emissions reduction targets have been set for trailers (7.5%) and semi-trailers (10%), starting from 2030.
According to the deal, the commission will make a detailed review on the effectiveness and impact of the regulation by 2027. This review will assess, among other things, the expansion of the scope to small lorries, the role of a methodology for registering heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) exclusively running on CO2-neutral fuels, in conformity with EU law and climate neutrality objective and the role of a carbon correction factor in the transition towards zero-emission HDVs.
Rapporteur Bas Eickhout, representing the Greens/European Free Alliance, Netherlands, stated, “The transition towards zero-emission trucks and buses is not only key to meeting our climate targets, but also a crucial driver for cleaner air in our cities. We are providing clarity for one of the major manufacturing industries in Europe and a strong incentive to invest in electrification and hydrogen. We are building on the Commission’s proposal by expanding the scope to vocational vehicles and adapting several targets and flexibilities to catch up with reality, as the transition is moving faster than expected.”
EU Parliament and Council need to formally approve the agreement before it can enter force.
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