EU appeal: Logistics companies and corporations call for stricter truck emission limits

Numerous German companies from the SME sector and logistics industry, such as DPDHL, Kühne und Nagel, Contargo, Knauf Insulation, and Meyer & Meyer, along with international corporations like Nike, Heineken, and PepsiCo, are urging the EU to increase climate targets for trucks. In a letter to EU lawmakers, they state that more ambitious fleet limits for 2030 and 2040 would reduce acquisition costs and accelerate the large-scale production of zero-emission trucks. Among the 41 signatories are many freight forwarders, haulers, and logistics companies. They advocate for more ambitious goals to meet their own climate commitments and to position themselves for the future.

Stronger reduction of CO2 emissions urged

The companies are calling on members of the European Parliament and EU governments to increase the fleet limits for 2030 from the currently proposed -45 percent to -65 percent. This is to ensure that regulatory ambitions are at least on par with the voluntary targets set by manufacturers. According to the signatories of the letter, this adjustment could increase the number of environmentally friendly trucks on Europe's roads by more than 150,000 by 2030, compared to the European Commission's proposal.

"We plan to expand our e-truck fleet to 33 vehicles this year and have already participated in a second funding call, applying for 59 more e-trucks. We are determined to continue driving the decarbonization of road freight transport. To do this, it is urgently necessary to ensure economic vehicle availability and to ramp up production as quickly as possible. This is where policy comes into play," explained Kristin Kahl, ECTA spokesperson and Leader Sustainable Solutions Management at Contargo.

The signatory companies are calling on the EU to set a clear date by which 100 percent of new trucks must be emission-free. This is crucial for decarbonizing the sector by 2050, as the average lifespan of trucks in Europe is about 18 years. The letter also states that climate targets should apply to all types of trucks to ensure that manufacturers ramp up the production of zero-emission vehicles in all segments. The current Commission proposal exempts some vehicle types, including garbage trucks, construction vehicles, and some urban delivery vehicles, which are often easy to electrify and would contribute to better air quality in cities.

"At Knauf Insulation, we are working for a better world, with sustainability at the heart of our actions. Our products are designed to minimize climate impact by improving building insulation. However, we lose credibility if we cannot deliver our products in a 'green way.' The lack of ambitious EU targets for zero-emission trucks partially prevents us from accelerating this transition today. Therefore, it is crucial for us to correct the directive by aligning the regulatory requirements with our ambitions," appealed Julian Fassin, Central Supply Chain PMO at Knauf Insulation.

Many companies have set ambitious climate targets and emphasize that it is crucial in the coming years to have significantly more zero-emission trucks available than today and to deliver them quickly. Economies of scale would reduce procurement costs for electric and hydrogen trucks and ensure that their total operating costs soon become cheaper than diesel trucks.

"A.P. Moller-Maersk is fully committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all our business areas by 2040. This requires significant investments. We believe that committing to buying no fossil-fuel-powered vehicles by 2035 will bring us closer to achieving our emissions goals and also help our customers reduce their greenhouse gas footprint," said Kenny Kristensen, Global Head of Energy Transition Execution at Maersk Landside Transportation.

However, the energy transition in road freight transport cannot be driven solely by leading companies like Maersk and many of our highly valued customers and logistics partners. Regulators, businesses, and consumers must do more, and we recommend that all lawmakers send strong demand signals to the industry to accelerate the energy transition,"

Appeal to EU countries for rapid implementation

The signatory companies welcome the EU's creation of the prerequisites for the introduction of zero-emission trucks, including mandatory charging stations and toll reductions for electric and hydrogen trucks. They call on member states to implement these EU regulations as quickly as possible. At the same time, they argue that the EU should use the revision of truck fleet limits to ensure that Europe can benefit from affordable zero-emission goods transport - including the positive impacts on the environment, industry, truck drivers, and public health.

The EU Commission has proposed a fleet limit of 45 percent (compared to 2019/2020 levels) for newly sold trucks in 2030, rising to 90 percent by 2040. EU environment ministers and the European Parliament are currently discussing the draft standards and are expected to agree on the final regulation early next year.