Report identifies how heavy trucks can help achieve climate goals

If greenhouse gas emissions from heavy trucks are to decrease in line with the climate targets, the use of fossil fuels must be fully phased out by about 2050. A new report shows how emission reductions can keep pace with the ambitions expressed in the EU's and Sweden's overall climate policy, and provides eight concrete proposals for action.

Our study shows that implementing EU standards for carbon dioxide emissions from heavy trucks is crucial to increasing the share of electric trucks and meeting the climate targets. If the requirements in the standards are relaxed or not met, unreasonably powerful measures will be required on the fuel side to compensate for this, says Tobias Gustavsson Binder, transport and climate expert at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.

Another conclusion is that even with rapid electrification, significant volumes of renewable fuels will be needed during a relatively long transition period. In the long term – probably around 2050 – the researchers believe it is doubtful whether the supply of renewable fuels will be sufficient for trucks alongside what is needed for aviation and shipping.

Regardless of long-term developments, political action is needed in order to ensure increased production of renewable fuels, which in turn must be based, at least in part, on new technologies and raw materials, says Tobias Gustavsson Binder.

The report's authors also point out that politicians should take a balanced approach to hydrogen-powered trucks and avoid, for example, introducing special quotas or incentives for them:

The future of hydrogen trucks is still uncertain, and it is questionable whether sales – at the expense of electric trucks, which in practice will be the effect – would really result in any climate benefits, says Tobias Gustavsson Binder.

Download the report (in Swedish, with summary in English): Lastbilarnas klimatomställning – från styrmedel till verklighet External link, opens in new window. [Climate transition in the trucking sector – from instruments to reality]

For more information, contact:
Tobias Gustavsson Binder, tobias.gustavsson.binder@ivl.se, tel. +46 (0)10-788 67 50

The study was conducted by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute in collaboration with CIT Renergy and climate analyst Magnus Nilsson, and was funded by Triple F, which is the Swedish Transport Administration's research and innovation initiative aimed at contributing to the transition of the Swedish freight transport system to fossil-free operations.