Mr. Jim BLUBAUGH
Director of International Programs, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)
Mr. Alexandre PAQUOT
Head of Road Transport Unit,Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA)
Mr. Drew Kodjak
Executive Director, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)
Heavy-duty trucks and buses represent only a small fraction of the road transportation fleet in G20 economies, but are responsible for a large portion of CO2 emissions and local air pollutants that contribute to increased incidence of chronic diseases and premature deaths. Yet, the stringency of environmental protection and energy efficiency standards varies substantially among G20 economies. To address these policy gaps, the G20 Transport Task group is supporting countries through policy exchanges, capacity building activities, and in-depth technical collaborations.
International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) interviewed three subject matter experts about how their respective organisations are working to address the growing freight energy consumption and pollutant emissions. This article is adapted based on the newsletter article previously published by IPEEC.
THE U.S. EPA’S LEADERSHIP IN DEVELOPING AND INTRODUCING EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR HDVS
Mr. Jim BLUBAUGH, Director of International Programs, Office of Transportation and Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) The U.S. freight system moves over 20 billion tonnes of domestic freight per year, and is expecting to see freight activity grow by nearly 50% over the next 25 years. Improving the environmental footprint of the trucking industry is therefore a priority in the U.S.
For the first phase of our heavy duty vehicle (HDV) greenhouse gases (GHG) program, we largely capitalised on the technologies and strategies that were already being deployed and promoted by U.S. EPA SmartWay Transport Program [1]. More importantly, we engaged early on with manufacturers, the trucking industry and other stakeholders, about how this programme could look and sought their support. Having the support of these important stakeholder communities to help shape these standards unleashed innovation to develop and/or enhance fuel efficient technologies that work best for these vehicles. For the initial part of the programme, we estimated the standards would provide USD 49 billion in net programme benefits, and enable USD 50 billion in fuel savings for vehicle owners.
The G20 Transport Task Group is an essential forum for us to build bilateral and multi-lateral relationships, as well as to share technical expertise and experience regarding environmental transportation policy.
THE EUROPEAN UNION’S PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE MANDATORY CO2 STANDARDS FOR HDVS
Mr. Alexandre PAQUOT, Head of Road Transport Unit, Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), European Commission
CO2 emissions from HDVs currently account for nearly 6% of total CO2 emissions in the EU and a quarter of the EU’s road transport CO2 emissions. HDV CO2 emissions will grow from now through 2030 if no measures are taken, so action is needed to curb them. On 17 May 2018, the European Commission proposed for the first time to regulate these emissions [2]. CO2 emission standards are proposed for large trucks, which account for around 65-70% of all CO2 emissions from HDVs.
In the original proposal, which is now subject to negotiations, average CO2 emissions from new trucks registered in the EU will have to be 15% lower in 2025 and 30% lower in 2030, both compared to 2019. The Commission’s impact assessment found that approximately 54 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved between 2020-30, with additional reductions in air pollutant emissions. The net savings during the first 5 years of use are expected to be around EUR 25,000 for an average new truck bought in 2025, and second-hand truck users would also benefit.
ICCT’S TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO G20 ECONOMIES TO HELP REGULATORS UNDERSTAND AND ACQUIRE THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO MEASURE THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF HDVS
Mr. Drew Kodjak, Executive Director, International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)
The G20 economies and other economies are tackling the issue of rising energy consumption and emissions from the freight sector through energy efficiency standards and supporting industry to develop Zero Emission Vehicle technologies. The work of the TTG, ICCT and of individual G20 economies adds up in support of continued progress in this field.
From years of experience, we learned that the most attractive target for alignment was around the computer simulation software tool that is used to determine compliance with HDV efficiency standards. I had also been aware that the HDV industry had been calling on governments to align regulatory tests and procedures to diminish administrative burdens. As a result, we kicked off a “deep dive” project through the G20 Transport Task Group to exchange technical information on the simulation models and regulations among interested countries, drawing from the U.S., Canada, and EU experiences and interest in supporting other economies in promoting HDV efficiency.