CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles to be drastically reduced - EU Parliament has clear ideas
The EU Parliament's decision to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles has far-reaching implications for environmental zones and air quality. The ambitious targets stipulate that new city buses should be emission-free by 2035. Compared to 2019, their emissions are to be reduced by 90 % by 2030. Emissions from lorries and coaches are to be reduced by 90 % by 2040.
The EU's vote to drastically reduce CO2 emissions from buses and lorries is a decisive step towards a climate-neutral EU by 2050. City buses are to be emission-free throughout the EU by 2035. The emission reduction targets for lorries and coaches are as follows: 45% by 2030, 65% by 2035 and 90% by 2040 (compared to 2019). But what does this mean for low emission zones and air quality, especially if the purchase of electric cars stagnates or even declines?
Firstly, it can be assumed that the EU's plans will significantly improve air quality in cities. By reducing CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles, the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere will be significantly reduced. This has a direct impact on air quality in urban areas. Especially in densely populated areas, where traffic is a significant source of air pollution, this can lead to a noticeable improvement in air quality.
But what happens if the purchase of electric cars declines, for example due to the removal of subsidies or people's continued scepticism? There is a risk here that the positive effects on air quality will be cancelled out by the reduction in CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles. Because if there are fewer electric vehicles on the roads, the proportion of vehicles with internal combustion engines will rise again, and with it greenhouse gas emissions.
Low emission zones will play a decisive role in preventing this. These zones, in which access is restricted for certain types of vehicles, can help to reduce the proportion of vehicles with high CO2 emissions in urban areas. This can further improve air quality and contribute to achieving the EU's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
However, the implementation of the above-mentioned decision poses an enormous challenge for commercial vehicles. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association has described these targets as "extremely challenging". In particular, the provision of sufficient charging infrastructure for electric vehicles represents a hurdle. Appropriate measures must therefore be taken both at EU level and in the individual member states to overcome these challenges.
To summarise, the CO2 reduction targets for commercial vehicles adopted by the EU Parliament present both opportunities and challenges. They have the potential to significantly improve air quality in our cities and make an important contribution to achieving the EU's climate targets. At the same time, however, they also require considerable efforts, particularly with regard to the promotion of electromobility and the establishment of low emission zones. It remains to be seen how these challenges will be met in the coming years.