Page 21 - Logistics News April 2021

Environment

ECTA calls on European

Commission to make zero-

emission road freight a reality

As a member of the European Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA), GEODIS supports its calls for
accelerated infrastructure development within EU countries and the strengthening of CO
2
emission standards for road transport, within the context of its adoption of the Fit for 55 package.

THE EUROPEAN Clean Trucking Alliance (ECTA),
a coalition calling for the decarbonisation of road
freight in the EU, urges the European Commission
to grab the opportunity of the upcoming proposals
under the Fit for 55 Package and come up with an
ambitious policy framework to make zero-emission
freight a reality.
The Alliance position paper comes ahead of
the Fit for 55 Package, which will shape several
decisive regulations for the future of road transport:
the expected review of Europe’s Alternative Fuels
Infrastructure Directive (AFID), the TEN-T and TEN-E
regulations, the Energy Taxation Directive and CO
2
emission performance standards for light commercial
vehicles.

Ramping up the infrastructure
There are approximately 40 million vehicles delivering
more than three-quarters of goods in Europe. “The
availability of infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles
is one of the biggest challenges to decarbonising the highest emissions increase since 1990.
our fleets – only ambitious regulations with AFID To stay on course for zero emissions by 2050, the
and policy support can turn this into the greatest upcoming CO performance standards revision is the
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opportunity of the decade” says Kristin Kahl, the opportunity to strengthen the standards in order to
Alliance’s spokesperson. boost supply of zero-emission vehicles. The Alliance
The Alliance calls on the Commission to recommends having at least 50 percent of new vans
establish binding targets in the AFID legislation for sold in 2030 zero emission and, by 2035, all new
infrastructure in all EU member states. A minimum vans sold to be zero emission. This is an opportunity
of two public charging stations per freight urban to have almost CO -free city logistics in major urban
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node by 2025 – to be increased to a minimum of 10 centres by 2030.
charging stations by 2030 – is needed to make the “The transport and logistics sector must play
transition to zero-emission trucks a reality in every an integral part in the realisation of this ecological
member state. transition. Transport, both of goods and passengers,
The TEN-T core network corridors should become accounts for more than 25 percent of global CO
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zero-emission freight corridors, with su’cient emissions. We must face this reality. During this crisis,
charging and green hydrogen refueling infrastructure we have seen an acceleration in the awareness of our
deployed at the latest by 2027 and completed by customers to this need. We are looking forward to the
2030 to enable zero-emission long haul trips. arrival of new zero-emission vehicles on the market,
as well as the deployment of improved energy
Ensuring the production of zero-emission infrastructures, which will be essential to ensure this
vehicles transition,” says Philippe de Carné, Executive Vice
In Europe, transport is the biggest source of President Business Development, Innovation and
emissions (around 28 percent). It is the sector with Business Excellence of GEODIS. •

April 2021 | Logistics News 19