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Truck makers push back against EU’s first ever CO2 limits

(EurActiv, 27 Aug 2018) The European Commission’s proposal to mandate a 15% cut in CO2 emission from trucks by 2025 is overly ambitious, according to industry association ACEA, which said a 7% objective would be more “realistic” given the technologies currently available.

The EU executive unveiled the bloc’s first-ever emission target for trucks in May as part of a two-step approach leading to 2030, when the Commission proposes to aim for an aspirational 30% CO2 reduction goal.

“All sectors must contribute to meet our climate commitments under the Paris Agreement,” Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete said as he unveiled the proposals in May, insisting the 2025 interim target can be met with existing technology.

But while ACEA supports the step-wise approach, it says the mandatory 2025 objective should be revised downwards.

“Given the state of the market and technology today, a 7% CO2 reduction by 2025 would strike the right balance between being both ambitious and realistic,” says ACEA in a position paperpublished on Monday (27 August).

For 2030, it suggests a 16% reduction goal – around a half of the 30% proposed by the Commission. Moreover, a planned 2022 interim review should also allow a downward adjustment of the 2030 objective, it argues – not just upward.

ACEA’s main argument is that truck makers are already implementing CO2-cutting measures wherever possible because emissions are closely linked to fuel consumption, which is the single most important selling point for trucks.

Fuel represents about 30% of hauliers’ costs, according to the industry association. Trucks also have a longer lifetime than cars – about six times more – and therefore take longer to replace.