AVERE PR: European Parliament delivers mixed results on HDV CO2 standards by excluding CCF but including carbon neutral fuels definition

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AVERE regrets the European Parliament’s decision to include a carbon neutral fuels definition in its mandate on the revision of the EU’s CO2 standards for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV).

AVERE regrets the European Parliament’s decision to include a carbon neutral fuels definition in its mandate on the revision of the EU’s CO2 standards for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDV). Although the hemicycle did not include a carbon correction factor (CCF) and confirmed the emission reduction targets that had already been adopted by the Environment Committee, this result risks jeopardising the EU’s ambition to become a leader in the uptake of zero-emission vehicles technologies. 

These changes set a dangerous precedent and create great uncertainty for European truck manufacturers as to where Europe is heading and what investments need to be made in the near future”, said Philippe Vangeel, Secretary General of AVERE.

Indeed, carbon neutral fuels will not be carbon-neutral in time to decarbonize the road transport sector and meet the climate targets that the EU set for the coming decades. 

Carbon neutral fuels are scarce resources sorely needed to reduce emissions in the aviation and shipping sectors, whereas the road transport sector can easily be electrified. As a result, putting these sectors into competition would undermine our climate efforts and create economic uncertainty for stakeholders involved in these industries.

Although disappointed by the inclusion of a definition of carbon neutral fuels, AVERE welcomes the exclusion of a carbon correction factor and the extension of the scope of the legislation to certain commercial trucks, which will be key to further reducing road transport’s emissions.

Ahead of trilogues, AVERE calls on legislators to oppose the inclusion of carbon neutral fuels definition in the scope of the legislation while supporting the extension of the scope of the legislation to certain vocational vehicles.

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