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    • Commission vague about lorry CO2 plans

    The Commission’s proposed new lorry carbon dioxide strategy lacks decisive action to reduce the sector’s growing emissions in Europe, green transport campaigners have said. Under the plan, lorry CO2 emissions would be measured, certified and reported in the hope that increased transparency will accelerate improvements.

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    The plan does recognise fuel efficiency standards are the ‘most apparent option’ to reduce lorry CO2 emissions but provides little clarity as to when and how these could be introduced.

    Lorry fuel economy in Europe has changed little in the last two decades while EU fuel efficiency standards for cars and vans have led to significant improvements. Since the introduction of the law in 2008, the average rate of progress for new cars has been 3.7 per cent a year, compared to 1.4 per cent annually during the period 2000-2008.

    Lorry emissions increased 36% between 1990 and 2010, and now account for 6% of total EU carbon emissions. Global lorry emissions are booming and, without any regulatory measures, by 2035 CO2 emissions from heavy duty vehicles will be just as high as those of the (much larger) car fleet.

    Meanwhile, hauliers’ fuel bills remain a concern for the sector, with fuel making up a third of overall costs. New fuel economy standards could improve lorry efficiency by 35%, saving hauliers €14,000 a year or €150,000 based on the average long-haul truck’s 11-year lifetime.

    The Commission has said its strategy focuses on ‘short-term action’ to certify, report and monitor lorry emissions, in the hope that it will lead to a more transparent and competitive market.

    T&E highlighted how the US introduced fuel economy regulations for lorries in 2011, improving the fleet’s average fuel efficiency by around 20% to end a 30-year period of stagnant truck fuel economy. The Obama administration is currently developing a second round of standards for the post-2020 period that are likely to drive improvements that would see US trucks become the world’s most efficient.

    William Todts, senior policy officer at T&E, said: ‘We’ve had a 20-year voluntary approach and it failed. More transparency is fine but nothing like the game changer we need to get a grip on lorry emissions.

    ‘The next Commission should follow the US example and set fuel economy standards. Standards provide a triple win: they’d slash hauliers‘ fuel bills and carbon emissions, reduce Russian diesel imports and ensure Europe’s truck-makers remain technology leaders.’