The EU’s new carbon toll: Complexities, shortcomings and solutions
EU countries have started implementing the bloc’s new CO2 tolls. Whether they’re new or additions to existing systems, they will have a big impact on logistics. What will those be? We asked Axxès and DKV Mobility for their perspectives.
IRU at Connecting Europe Days: key insights
IRU addressed the urgent need for better alternative fuel options, secure parking solutions and road transport’s role in multimodal transport at Connecting Europe Days in Brussels.
CountEmissions EU: Parliament confirms pragmatic reporting framework
IRU welcomes the endorsement of the CountEmissions EU report by the European Parliament’s plenary. The adopted text adds clarity on the steps that road transport companies are expected to take in order to report their greenhouse gas emissions.
Parliament backs EU’s overly ambitious new heavy-duty vehicle CO₂ targets
Despite a last-minute push for technology neutrality, the European Parliament’s plenary vote on CO₂ emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles fails to recognise other solutions that can play a role in decarbonising the commercial road transport sector.
Driving change: Key takeaways on zero-emission freight in and around cities
In the second of a three-part webinar series, IRU and POLIS brought together European leaders working to achieve carbon neutrality in road freight transport in and around cities. The group debated key issues on the complex road to 2050.
European Parliament adopts pragmatic, SME-friendly GHG reporting measures
IRU welcomes the joint committee vote in the European Parliament on the CountEmissions EU proposal. The committees’ report allows sub-contractors, which are mainly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to use secondary data. It also rightly puts an immediate focus on reporting based on the ISO standard, as it is too soon for a switch to a life-cycle approach.
Driving change: Zero-emission freight webinar inspires European stakeholders
Europe’s road freight transport industry, cities and regions all agree on the need to become carbon neutral by 2050. Given the diversity of actors and challenges, which include the frictionless transport of goods, access to consumers, and the reduction of air and noise pollution, how to reach this goal is a more complex question.
EU transport committee OKs new CO₂ incentives but ignores proven solutions
IRU welcomes today’s European Parliament Transport Committee vote on vehicle weights and dimensions. They confirmed key CO₂ emission incentives, but, disappointingly, placed additional obstacles against wider use of European Modular System vehicles.
EU environment committee backs mixed deal on heavy vehicle CO₂ standards
IRU takes stock of today’s vote in the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on CO₂ emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles. It is a mixed bag for the commercial road transport sector.
From long-haul to last mile: IRU and POLIS tackle zero-emission logistics
What are the challenges and opportunities facing the European logistics sector’s journey to carbon neutrality? IRU and POLIS will address your pressing decarbonisation questions during a three-part webinar series. Join us tomorrow for part one.
Figure of the month: 51%
How can commercial road transport get to net-zero emissions?
IRU urges European Commission to address damaging border waiting times
The road transport sector is strongly concerned that additional border control measures introduced by Bulgaria and Romania to fight irregular migration, in the context of accession to the Schengen area, are having disproportionately negative consequences on goods transport and trade.
Road transport industry to EU states: Reject mandatory purchasing targets
IRU, the world road transport organisation, has called on EU Member States to firmly reject the European Parliament’s proposal to impose mandatory purchasing targets for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles on transport operators.
IRU puts road transport industry decarbonisation plan on stage at COP28
Putting operational and economic pragmatism on the agenda, IRU’s Secretary General has unpacked commercial road transport’s roadmap to carbon neutrality at the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai this week.
New IRU study maps best net-zero 2050 plan: less disruption, lower cost
IRU has assessed the effectiveness and cost of three scenarios for commercial road transport to be carbon neutral by 2050 in Europe. A parallel focus on both efficiency measures and alternative fuels is less disruptive and less costly.
Linking Southern Africa to global markets: IRU and C-BRTA renew plans
IRU and South Africa’s Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (C-BRTA) have extended their memorandum of understanding, strengthening their commitment to enhancing international transport, facilitating transit and professionalising road transport.
CountEmissions EU: Some good news, but Council fails to clarify key points
IRU welcomes the Council’s agreement on a well-to-wheel approach for counting emissions in the transport sector. Major points of unclarity remain on how to treat subcontracting, a common practice in road transport, and how much bureaucracy and costs the new calculations will place on transport operators.
IRU sets scene on commercial road transport decarbonisation ahead of COP28
Speaking at the World Green Economy Summit in Dubai today, IRU has outlined a realistic and practical roadmap to effectively decarbonise commercial road transport without undermining vital mobility and logistics services.
Transport companies and unions sign sustainability and just transition pact
IRU and ITF have reinforced their commitment to drive a just transition and improve the accessibility and attractiveness of the commercial driver profession with a Just Transition for Transport pledge.
EU truck and bus CO₂ vote made even worse by absurd mandatory purchase idea
The European Parliament's plenary vote on CO₂ emission targets for heavy-duty vehicles today sets unrealistic targets for zero-emission vehicles, feebly tries to factor the role of carbon neutral fuels in decarbonisation, and attempts to bring the EU transport sector in line with totalitarian regimes by mandating purchase targets for transport operators.
Operators, drivers and parking groups call for urgent EU truck parking deal
The ongoing revision of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation is of critical importance to the EU’s road transport sector. An agreement between legislators is desperately needed, followed by commitment from Member States.
New combined transport proposal could harm efficient intermodal cooperation
Despite hopes to the contrary, the European Commission’s long-overdue legislative proposal to amend the Combined Transport Directive could harm efficient intermodal cooperation, instead of boosting it, due to the ambiguous incentive framework for combined and intermodal freight.
ENVI narrowly fails to capitalise on feasible EU mobility CO₂ solutions
In a closely contested vote, the European Parliament's environment committee has adopted the Commission’s misguided CO₂ emission reduction targets for heavy-duty vehicles. ENVI has failed to mobilise mature decarbonisation solutions, leaving a very narrow window for carbon-neutral fuels. It’s now in the hands of the Parliament’s plenary to offer a realistic and efficient decarbonisation pathway.
What next? Road transport makes its case on decarbonisation to EU MEPs
EU road transport industry leaders, joined by their American counterparts, were at the European Parliament to outline why some legislators need to reassess their approach to CO₂ standards for heavy-duty vehicles.