Entrepreneurs' Appeal to the EU Commission: Stay the course on phasing out combustion engines!

CEOs and executives from 50 companies have urged the EU not to reopen fleet regulations for cars and vans for 2035. In a statement released today, companies from the automotive, clean technology, transportation, and energy sectors emphasize that the goal is "doable and necessary." Signatories include Volvo Cars, Maersk, Uber, and Europe’s largest leasing company Ayvens.

“The 2035 target provides us with a clear direction, allowing companies and all other stakeholders to focus on implementing the necessary transformation,” the executives said in a statement on Industryfor2035.org. “It also provides much-needed investment certainty for the future of the automotive industry in Europe.”

Electric car manufacturers Polestar and Rivian, along with energy provider Iberdrola, retailer Tesco, and IKEA’s largest franchisee Ingka, have also signed the statement. The signatories declare their strong support for the EU's goal of climate neutrality by 2050, highlighting that many of them have made significant investments to achieve this target.

“We therefore urge policymakers not to reopen the recently adopted CO2 targets for passenger cars and vans in 2026 and to maintain the goal of 100% emission-free vehicles from 2035,” the statement reads.

Dominic Phinn, head of transport at the Climate Group, says: “To drive the transition of companies and industry required to reduce emissions, CEOs and executives need regulatory predictability. Their message to the newly appointed EU politicians is: 'Don't let us down.' A reversal from the agreed phase-out of the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 would jeopardize their investments, fleet decarbonization goals, and ultimately the EU’s climate neutrality target.”

“Electrification is the single largest action our industry can take to reduce its carbon footprint. The 2035 target is critical to support all parties on this pathway and secure European competitiveness. We urge EU policymakers to focus on the measures we need to take to achieve this goal, instead of rolling back recently agreed legislation," explained Jim Rowan, CEO of Volvo Cars:

Democratic Mandate Already Granted

The companies emphasize that the zero-emission target for 2035 received a democratic mandate in March 2023 from the EU governments and the Members of the European Parliament. Rather than rolling back already agreed-upon regulations, efforts should focus on implementing the agreements reached: targeted industrial policy measures and investment incentives for a sustainable local battery value chain, expansion of charging infrastructure and the supply of clean electricity, sustainable retrofitting of company fleets, and retraining of workers for the transition to electromobility.

“If we soften the 2035 target now, we will destroy the roadmap on which companies have based their investment plans. Instead, we should support the transformation by boosting demand through the electrification of fleets. Furthermore, local, clean battery production must be supported," says Sebastian Bock, Managing Director of Transport & Environment (T&E) Germany.

Emissions from cars and vans account for more than one eighth (13 percent) of total EU greenhouse gas emissions. CO2 emissions from cars increased by 6 percent between 2000 and 2019.