Roadmap for UK CO2 reductions from heavy goods vehicles published
Mon 11 April 2011
View all news
The Automotive Council has published a roadmap proposing a long-term strategy aimed at helping manufacturers of commercial vehicles and construction equipment move to low carbon solutions.
The joint industry/government Automotive Council says the roadmap is the first to be published in Europe with this level of detail and outlines the drivers and timescales of technology development across the sector from delivery vans to bulldozers. These technologies include hybridisation, more efficient powertrains and alternative fuels.
The roadmap is intended to be a useful tool in determining research priorities as well as helping vehicle manufacturers and the supply chain draft long-term business plans.
Business Secretary and Co-Chair of the Automotive Council Vince Cable said: “Work on lowering carbon emissions from cars is well under way. Now we need to look at other parts of the sector and how they can help meet our long term obligations on CO2 and air quality targets. This roadmap will help companies make the right investment choices as well as promote UK innovation and technology.”
CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) are not yet regulated in Europe despite them accounting for some 26% of total road transport emissions.
Since the adoption of legislation on new passenger cars and a 2010 agreement to cut emissions from light commercial vehicles it has become increasingly likely that the HGV sector is going to be the European Commission's next target.
In a study led by environmental consultancy AEA it is claimed that without further action in the HGV sector, fuel consumption and direct CO2 emissions might increase by almost 15% by 2030.
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) already operates a voluntary Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme. Since its launch in July 2010, the FTA says that the scheme has secured director-level commitment from almost 50 organisations operating some 40,000 commercial vehicles. There is also a strong pipeline of operators going through the sign-up process. Participants range from high street retailers, utilities and third party logistics companies to relatively modest sized hauliers.
Scheme members commit to regularly reporting their fuel use figures from which carbon dioxide emissions for the scheme are derived, together with a set of four activity and business-based normalisers. From these datasets, absolute levels of emissions and the relative improvement in emissions over time can be monitored. Members have committed to reduce the carbon dioxide intensity of their logistics operations by 8 per cent by 2015 compared to a 2010 base line.
In a recent letter to the FTA, Mike Penning, transport minister at the Department for Transport, welcomed the scheme: "I welcome the Freight Transport Association's Logistics Carbon Reduction Scheme. The fact that it already covers nearly 40,000 vehicles - and will expand to cover more - will help to provide a detailed picture of the quantity and trend of carbon emissions by the freight industry and show that it is capable of working together, voluntarily, to tackle its harmful emissions."
Over the last year the LowCVP has been developing recommendations to accelerate the take-up of low carbon technology in the HGV market. Key issues identified have been the need for accessible information on HGV fuel consumption in which operators have confidence in terms of existing technologies and which don't represent a cost barrier when introducing more advanced technologies. The Partnership recently presented its recommendations to the Department for Transport and is currently working with the department to further develop the proposals.
Related Links
< Back to news list