Global brands including Nestlé, Unilever, REWE Group and AB InBev have called for European leaders to impose sales targets on manufacturers for zero-emission trucks and vans to overcome a lack of supply.
A letter signed by 30 businesses, haulier companies and associations, along with local authorities, has told incoming EU climate chief Frans Timmermans that binding sales targets are needed to overcome a lack of supply of clean vehicles.
Without the targets, the EU’s ambitions for emission reductions are likely to fail, they warned.
The supply of clean trucks from manufacturers is nearly non-existent, according to the letter, which is also addressed to new EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
Bart Vandewaetere, head of government relations for Nestlé Europe, Middle East and North Africa, said: “We want to be carbon neutral by 2050. To meet this ambition, we are taking actions to successfully address the carbon impact of our operations. We also want to leverage technology to reduce carbon emissions of our road transport.
“We however see limited development of zero-emission trucks. We therefore support ambitious and binding sales target to accelerate the uptake of more zero-emission vehicles in Europe. This would help guide all players into the same direction and help make Europe the first climate-neutral continent.”
There are also calls for a dedicated European investment fund to support new charging infrastructure.
Stef Cornelis, clean trucks manager at sustainable transport group Transport & Environment (T&E), said: “Vice-president Timmermans cannot deliver on his promises without cleaning up the road freight sector. Given the major brands and transport industry players signing this letter, it’s clear the demand is there. Now we need the right EU incentives to finally get the supply. The new Commission should follow other regions like California and introduce these targets without any delay.”
Transport emissions have increased four years in a row and now represent 27% of the EU’s total emissions. Within road transport, heavy goods vehicles account for 22% of CO2 emissions.
Europe’s first greenhouse gas emissions limits for heavy vehicles are set to come into force after MEPs and EU governments completed the legislative process for new regulation. The regulation will cut CO2 emissions from trucks by 30% by 2030, potentially saving hauliers €60,000 per truck in the first five years through lower fuel consumption.
T&E said the legislation ‘kick-starts road haulage’s shift away from fossil-fuel technology’.
