Joining forces to tackle road transport CO2 challenge

There has been significant progress made in bringing down CO2 emissions from cars, vans, trucks and buses thanks to ongoing innovation efforts by the automotive industry. However, given the challenge of further reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, more will have to be done than just focusing on new vehicle technology. If we want to drive CO2 emissions down further and faster, we need to adopt a more comprehensive approach.

This comprehensive approach should ensure the more rapid adoption of alternative power sources for cars, allow us to better grasp the opportunities offered by connecting cars through ITS, improve transport infrastructure, and encourage more ‘eco-friendly’ driving. All these have the potential to combine with continuing innovation in car technology to combat emissions from road transport more holistically and successfully.

ACEA Secretary General Erik Jonnaert said, “To realise the CO2 reduction potential of a comprehensive approach to reducing road transport emissions we must work in partnership with relevant stakeholders to better understand the potential of these various approaches and technologies, and how these can be best realised in partnership with the automotive industry. That is the purpose of the ‘Joining forces to tackle the road transport CO2 challenge’ initiative.”

The initiative brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, non-profit organisations, research bodies and think tanks, and is organised around a series of workshops that will address the following key themes: looking into alternative fuel options, the potential of Intelligent Transport Systems to reduce CO2 emissions, the impact of infrastructure and the potential of involving the driver through more attention to eco-driving. The findings from these workshops, the first of which on fuel options took place yesterday, will be included in a report which will be published later in 2015 to be used to contribute to an informed debate on what options should be explored to further address the CO2 challenge from transport.

While the ‘Joining forces’ initiative launched yesterday is focused on CO2 emissions from cars and vans, ACEA is conducting a similar exercise for heavy duty vehicles in parallel with workshops on vehicle/vehicle related measures, fuels and logistics, and infrastructure.