The EU Parliament has voted in favour of binding CO2 limits for trucks. In their resolution, parliamentarians decided on stronger reduction targets than those proposed by the EU Commission. CO2 reduction targets are now binding for trucks with a 20 percent reduction by 2025 and 35 percent by 2030.

　　As we reported ealier this year, industry giants such as Siemens, DB Schenker, Ikea, Carrefour, Nestlé, Alstom and Unilever had been putting pressure on the Commission for a 24 percent reduction by 2025 and much more by 2030. Despite this, the Commission only proposed 15 percent reductions by 2025, leading up to 30 percent by 2030. Nevertheless, the European Parliament has now successfully pushed through the stronger resolutions, albeit less than was demanded by companies receiving truck deliveries.

　　These will be the first CO2 limits for lorries to apply in the EU. Countries such as the US, China, Japan and Canada have already long since set targets to reduce CO2 emissions from trucks.

　　The new targets also include a quasi-electrification quota: manufacturers must ensure that emission-free and low-emission vehicles (which cause at least 50 percent less emissions) have a market share of five percent by the year 2025, leading up to a share of 20 percent by 2030. The MEPs are now starting negotiations on the implementation of the targets with the Council of Ministers, i.e. ministers of the European member states.

　　It is well known that a similarly strict target is likely for passenger cars in the European Union. According to the EU states, carbon dioxide emissions of new cars should also be reduced by 35 percent by 2030, with an interim target of 15 percent by 2025. However, here the proposed targets include “niche exceptions” for smaller manufacturers that produce 300,000 cars or less. These manufacturers will be exempt from the reduction rules, as was recently agreed by the EU environment ministers after tough negotiations. The final decision on these targets will soon be taken in negotiations between representatives of the Council, Commission and Parliament, the so-called trialogue. The outcome for passenger cars is still open.