After cars, trucks and buses. On Tuesday, November 21, MEPs voted by 445 votes – 152 against, 30 abstentions – in favor of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 5 tonnes, buses and tourist coaches. Unlike private thermal vehicles, the marketing of which will be prohibited from 2035, here there is no question of eliminating any new trucks or buses with thermal engines by this time.
Vehicles marketed from the end of the decade must emit 30% to 45% less CO₂ than in 2019. In 2035, the reduction must reach 65% compared to the initial level and by 2040, it must be 90%. “We rely on the Commission’s proposal [présentée le 14 février] by broadening the scope and adapting several objectives and benchmarks to catch up with reality, the transition being faster than expected”, assures Bas Eickhout, the rapporteur (The Greens) of this legislative measure.
For buses, parliamentarians want to go a little further than the European Commission, by proposing that new buses no longer emit greenhouse gases from 2030, with a five-year exemption for fleets running on biogas. “After cars and vans, we now cover the spectrum of all vehicles on the road”assures Pascal Canfin, president (Renew) of the environment committee of the European Parliament.
“This is a historic stepjudge Karima Delli (The Greens), president of the transport committee. For the first time, we have a roadmap for the decarbonization of these heavy vehicles which today emit around 6% of greenhouse gases in Europe. »
“A clear incentive”
One of the major issues of this vote was to know the future of biofuels and other synthetic fuels in heavy transport. At Renew, Mr. Canfin believes that the amendments allowing the development of these energy sources in future fleets have been opposed, in particular the creation of a “carbon correction factor”. This rather cryptic mechanism, supported by biofuel producers, would have made it possible to take into account the share of renewables in alternative fuels by deducting it from the CO₂ emissions of vehicles. From now on, believes Bas Eickhout, the law brings “a clear incentive for industry to invest in electrification and hydrogen”.
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