Global companies Nike, Heineken and PepsiCo are calling on the European Union to increase climate targets for trucks to help them meet their green commitments. Letter to EU lawmakers Forty-one transport, shipping, logistics and electric vehicle companies (1), including Maersk and DFDS, have signed a document saying more ambitious CO2 standards in 2030 and 2040 would cut costs and accelerate the mass production of zero-emission trucks.
Truck manufacturers have voluntarily committed to selling more zero-emission trucks, which include electric and hydrogen vehicles. They are therefore urging MEPs and EU governments to increase the 2030 CO2 emissions target from the currently proposed -45% to -65%, to ensure that regulatory ambitions are at least on a par with the voluntary ambition levels. They say this would see more than 150,000 more green trucks on Europe’s roads in 2030 than the European Commission has proposed.
Archana Jagannathan, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo Europe, said: “PepsiCo’s ambition to reduce emissions by at least 40% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2040 depends largely on the decarbonization efforts of our value chain partners, including third-party logistics. The transition to affordable, zero-emission freight movement in Europe is therefore our shared responsibility. We urge policymakers in Brussels to set more ambitious CO2 standards for trucks as this is not only a crucial step towards achieving the EU’s climate neutrality goals but also a strategic step for the success of our industry.”
The signatory companies are urging the EU to set a clear deadline for 100% of new trucks to be zero-emission. This is crucial to decarbonising the sector by 2050, given that the average age of a truck in Europe is around 18 years. The letter says all types of truck should be subject to climate targets to ensure manufacturers ramp up production of zero-emission vehicles across all sectors. The Commission’s proposal excludes certain types of vehicles including garbage trucks, construction trucks and some urban delivery trucks, which are often easy to electrify – with benefits for air quality in cities.
Kenny Christensen, Head of Global Energy Transition Execution at Maersk Landside Transportation, said: “AP Moller-Maersk is fully committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 across our entire business. Doing so requires significant investment and we believe that the end-2035 commitment for fossil fuel vehicle purchases brings us closer to meeting our emissions targets and thus helps our customers reduce their greenhouse gas footprint. But driving the energy transition in road freight cannot be done alone by leading companies like Maersk and our many valued customers and logistics partners. More work is needed by regulators, businesses and consumers and we recommend that all policies set strong demand signals for the industry to accelerate the energy transition.”
Many companies have set more ambitious climate targets and have stressed the importance of significantly increasing the availability and delivery of a wider range of zero-emission trucks in the coming years. Economies of scale will reduce upfront purchase costs for electric and hydrogen trucks and ensure they will soon be cheaper to own and operate than diesel trucks.
Sophie Kim-Chapman, Head of Carbon Removal at DFDS, said: “It is in all our interests to push for more zero-emission trucks on the road, early, and set clear intentions for trucks and infrastructure. This will accelerate the pace of emissions reductions and achieve cost parity with diesel, and allow transport operators like us to plan for the future with greater confidence.”
The signatory companies acknowledge that the EU has created favourable conditions for the launch of zero-emission trucks, including mandatory charging points and road toll discounts for electric and hydrogen trucks. They urge Member States to implement these EU rules as soon as possible. However, they believe that the review of CO2 standards for trucks gives EU policymakers the opportunity to decide whether Europe will reap the benefits of affordable, zero-emission freight movement and all the additional benefits it will bring to the environment, industry, drivers and public health.
The EU Commission has proposed a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% (compared to 2019/20 levels) for new trucks sold in 2030, rising to 90% in 2040. EU environment ministers and the European Parliament are currently discussing the draft standards and should agree on the final regulation early next year.
Note to editors:
The letter was signed by: A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, APL logistics, Asstra Forwarding AG, Avere, Boekestijn Transport, Brightmerge, ChargePoint, Council for Sustainable Logistics (CNL), Colruyt, Contargo, Currys, Danfoss, DFDS, DPDHL, European Shippers Council, EV Box, Fixemer Logistics GmbH, Forto, Heineken, HMM Co Ltd, Integre Trans, Knauf Insulation, Kuehne and Nagel, Meyer & Meyer, Nestlé, Nike, Oatly Group, PepsiCo, Polish Chamber of E-mobility Development (PIRE), REE Automotive USA Inc., Samskip Multimodal, Schachinger Logistik, SEA Electric, Stolt Tank Containers BV, University Gustave Eiffel, VAI Capital, van der Wal, Vattenfall, Volta Trucks, Zeus Labs, Zilch Forwarding (formerly Range 3 pty/IQ emissions).
letter:
Transport, logistics and shipping companies are calling on EU policymakers to urgently increase the supply of zero-emission trucks by setting more ambitious CO2 standards for trucks.
Comments from other sites:
Asstra Associated Traffic AG said: “As AsstrA Associated Traffic AG, we have signed the heavy vehicle industry CO2 letter with the aim of boosting demand for electric truck services, accelerating their introduction and making the technology cheaper. We are interested in electric mobility because we believe that the future of first and last-mile vehicles will be electric. In this regard, we would like to offer our customers such solutions on a larger scale and at the best possible price. We hope that by increasing demand and mutual cooperation, we can move to our sustainable future even faster.”
Giano Koskamp, Quality Assurance and Sustainability Manager at Boxtigen Transport, said: “We are in the midst of one of the most impactful transformations in the transportation sector. During this transformation, we see a great deal of readiness and commitment across the industry to decarbonize. Now we have the opportunity to capitalize on this momentum with ambitious, binding and clear legislation. It is time to accelerate action to achieve the goals.”
Peter Leonard, Director of Transport Capabilities at Colruyt Group, said: “Together with the Colruyt Group, we certainly support this kind of initiative. We ourselves, as pioneers, are already investing in battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles so that our transport becomes completely emission-free by 2035. We therefore expect a regulatory framework to ensure an increased supply of emission-free vehicles in our sector.”
Christine Kahl, ECTA spokesperson and head of sustainable solutions at Contargo, said: “We are expanding our electric truck fleet to 33 vehicles this year, and have already participated in a second funding call and applied for a further 59 electric trucks. At Contargo, we are committed to accelerating the decarbonization of road freight transport. To get these vehicles, it is urgent to scale up production as quickly as possible. Policy is needed here.”
Jens Bagrel, Managing Director of Fixemer Logistics GmbH, said: “Ensuring that we can offer our customers emission-free transport services is part of the commitment of Fixemer Logistics GmbH.”
Pia Schwanenberg, Senior Sustainability Manager at Fortwo, said: “Fortune supports the open call for the European Commission to set ambitious targets that enable zero-emission trucking – not only because this is what cargo owners demand but also because it is the right thing to do with logistics responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Only by doing this can we achieve the goals we set for ourselves in the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
“We are delighted to be working with Integre Trans to ensure that our customers are receiving the best possible service,” said Loretta Dainette, Chief Sustainability and Quality Officer at Integre Trans. “At Integre Trans, we firmly believe in the need for decisive action to combat climate change and reduce emissions in the trucking industry. We are committed to a sustainable future and advocate for comprehensive measures that include all types of trucks, driving the production of zero-emission vehicles, and moving toward a zero-emission truck fleet. We are committed to creating a greener, more environmentally friendly trucking industry.”
“We are delighted to partner with Knauf Insulation to provide the highest quality, reliable and reliable solutions for our customers,” said Julien Fassin, Director of Central Supply Chain Management at Knauf Insulation. “At Knauf Insulation, we work for a better world, putting sustainability at the heart of what we do. Our products are manufactured to reduce the climate impact, by improving the insulation of buildings. However, we lose our credibility if we cannot supply our products in a ‘green’ way. Today, the lack of ambitious EU targets for partially emission-free trucks prevents us from accelerating this transition. That is why it is so important for us to review the policy, by increasing the requirements to the level of our ambitions.”
Marcin Nowak, Board Member of the Polish Chamber of Commerce for the Development of Electric Mobility (PIRE), said: “The Polish Electric Mobility Development Chamber (PIRE) supports the European Clean Transport Alliance (ECTA) community’s mission to increase ambition for zero-emission heavy vehicles. Decarbonization of heavy transport is a crucial element in achieving climate neutrality, so the targets set must be ambitious enough to create and stimulate the zero-emission transport market. The proposals put forward by the ECTA community are in line with market trends and respond to the statements of vehicle manufacturers. In our opinion, it is also important to set a clear date when 100% of new trucks will be zero-emission. The Polish Electric Mobility Development Chamber declares its full support for the principles of the ECTA community.”
Max Schachinger, Chairman of the Sustainable Logistics Council and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Schachinger Logistics Holding GmbH, said: “Providing high-quality, sustainable and affordable transport solutions to our customers is of paramount importance. We therefore encourage policymakers to agree on ambitious CO2 emissions standards for trucks to support the logistics sector to move faster towards zero-emission transport solutions.”
Dr. Laetitia De Blanc, Head of Logistics City at Gustave Eiffel University, said: “Finally, decarbonizing shipping is starting to get the attention it deserves, and multinational companies are leading the way in finding solutions to radically more sustainable supply chains.”
Henk van der Wal, CEO of Van der Wal, said: “Investment in zero-emission trucks should be seen as an investment in the living conditions of future generations, not as a cost in today’s operations.”
Dr. Christopher D. Sachs, Chief Sustainability Officer at Zeus®, said: “While Zeus welcomes the EU’s revised targets for decarbonising heavy vehicles, we believe these targets need to be more ambitious. The evidence suggests that the proposed 45% reduction by 2030 will not put us on the path required to achieve net zero emissions in time. If we miss this early, the challenge will become insurmountable later on. Furthermore, the legislation aims to encourage increased production of zero-emission heavy vehicles to reduce their costs and accelerate their use. For this to be truly effective, the legislation must apply to all vehicle classes, regardless of their relative contribution to total emissions.”
