Fifteen countries and numerous transport companies around the world are switching to clean heavy road transport. At the initiative of the Netherlands, they signed today at the climate summit in Glasgow under the ambition that from 2040 all new trucks and buses in their country will run without emissions. Because trucks will be on the road for an average of about ten years, the agreement is a good step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from trucks and buses worldwide to zero by 2050.
Clean saves a lot of emissions
The Netherlands is really a transport country. This creates jobs and brings in money. And increasingly green: Dutch companies are good at building emission-free buses and trucks.
However, heavy transport also remains an important source of air pollution. Global transport sector emissions are not in line with the Paris targets. Heavy traffic accounts for more than a third of CO2 emissions and about 70% of nitrogen emissions from all road traffic worldwide, and produces many harmful gases that people inhale directly.
Solutions important for the Netherlands
There is a solution for this with the truck and bus that runs on a battery or hydrogen. They are quiet and run without exhaust fumes. But they are still expensive. Many transport companies are hesitant about the price, and many manufacturers are still hesitant to start making clean trucks en masse.
The Netherlands wants to accelerate. Entrepreneurs in our country can buy an emission-free delivery van with a subsidy, and such a scheme is also underway for trucks. But there must be a wide choice of these trucks. Builders of buses and trucks are spread worldwide. International cooperation is therefore important.
“This agreement is a good start. The Netherlands is ambitious. We have already agreed in the Climate Agreement that we want all road traffic to be clean by 2050. It is important to go for this together with other countries, so that the market can develop faster. I therefore call on other countries to join.”
In addition to the Netherlands, Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Turkey, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Wales and Switzerland are taking part.
Become a Partner
The fifteen countries will make policy to achieve the agreed objectives. They will collaborate intensively and exchange knowledge in order to realize the ambitions. They report annually on progress. In addition to countries, many states, transport companies and truck builders participate, such as California, DHL, Heineken, Scania and BYD.
The logic behind the agreed ambition is simple. If you want to be completely clean by 2050, all new trucks and buses must be clean by 2040. After all, they have a lifespan of about ten years. And to tie in with the logical moments of replacement for entrepreneurs, the goal is to have 2030% of new heavy vehicles emission-free by 30.
“It is good that the Netherlands is taking the lead in this. If countries around us also participate, there will be more choice and prices will be lower. That is important for our entrepreneurs. A lot still needs to be done, both in the Netherlands and in the rest of the world, so that the electric trucks can be charged efficiently and the logistics planning is not hampered."
charging stations
To underline the importance of good charging stations, the Netherlands and California are also organizing a separate session on charging stations today at the climate summit. After all, clean cars, buses and trucks cannot drive without a good charging infrastructure National government.
