As a huge contributor to carbon emissions, whether that be by road, rail, air or sea freight, the industry has a duty to ensure it helps to bring down pollution levels to help meet climate change targets, according to a group of big businesses.
The alliance of companies including Ikea, Nestle and Heathrow Airport have called for new EU legislation to limit emissions and increase fuel efficient of heavy good vehicles (HGVs) – something that hasn’t changed much in the last two decades according to The Guardian.
It’s thought that HGVs contribute a quarter of Europe’s traffic emissions, despite being only 5 per cent of its road traffic.
The Guardian have seen the letter written by the group of clean corporations to the head of the EU, in which they propose that changes will have to be enforced on the industry to meet levels set at the Paris Climate Conference: “We… call on you to propose post-2020 standards that reduce the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of new trucks and trailers.”
New research from Transport for London has found that the lack of knowledge on the benefits of low emission HGVs makes it hard for business to justify their purchase at present, reported Green Business.
The study interviewed 28 commercial fleet operators and also found that there was a lack of impartial advice on alternative fuels and commercial infrastructure which would help freighters provide a cleaner service.
Whether encouragement will be enough to signal a change to greener practices in the industry remains to be seen, however, business leaders have proposed the new legislation to take effect from after 2020.
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