“Increase the Ambition of the EU’s Proposed Van CO2 Targets”

A coalition of cities, hauliers, companies and civil society call for decision-makers to increase the C02 reduction targets for vans.

In this letter, cities, hauliers, companies, health organisations and civil society call for decision-makers to put vans on a credible path to zero emission and increase the ambition of the proposed CO₂ reduction targets.

Download the letter.

Here’s some of the text of the letter: “Vans emissions are a growing European problem. With the boom in home deliveries, van sales are surging but progress to clean them up has been at a standstill with climate emissions in 2020 the same level as 2017. As a result vans are by far the fastest growing climate problem in road transport (+58% compared to 1990). They also greatly contribute to air pollution and represent 14% of NOx emissions from vehicles in cities, adversely impacting the 70% of Europeans living in urban areas.

“Considering the increasing role of vans in our lives, we will face unprecedented challenges in reaching our emission targets if action is not taken immediately. Our businesses, our health, our air and our planet cannot afford to have this van problem overlooked as it often has been until today. Decision makers should focus their efforts as well on vans and in an equally weighted manner as it has been done for cars in the joint cars and vans CO₂ emission file.

“We, the undersigned cities, companies, hauliers, environmental and health organisations, are calling on decision-makers to increase the ambition of the proposed van CO₂ emission targets beyond the European Commission proposal to put vans on a credible path to zero- emission and increase the supply of affordable, zero-emission vans.

“The undersigned fully support that all new vans must be zero emission from 2035 onwards. Yet, more ambition is needed early on during the 2020s to successfully roll out clean vans by 2035. CO2 targets must be increased in the 2020s as the current EU van CO₂ targets are not sufficient given they don’t require van makers to increase their sales of zero emission vans above a 10% share throughout this decade.”

Originally published on Transport & Environment.