ACEA calls on MEPS to vote for EU ETS for road transport

Brussels, 12 May 2022 – Ahead of next week’s vote by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee on the EU ETS, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is calling on MEPs to support the establishment of a solid carbon pricing system that includes road transport.
The emission trading system for buildings and road transport (ETS2) proposed in the ‘Fit for 55’ climate package is a key policy tool for decarbonising road transport. Without it, overall efforts to swiftly cut emissions – especially in the road freight transport sector – cannot be effective.
“Only with the strong support of a policy framework that sets a price on carbon, will it be possible to encourage and incentivise commercial transport operators to choose low- and zero-emission vehicles over conventional, diesel-powered ones,” stated Martin Lundstedt, CEO of Volvo Group and Chairperson of ACEA’s Commercial Vehicle Board.
“After all, transport operators use the vehicles as part of their businesses of transporting goods and people. The benefits of running zero-emission vehicles must become clearly visible for them. They will only make the switch if these vehicles can be operated more profitably than, and as seamlessly as, conventional powertrain vehicles.”
Lundstedt: “We urge MEPs to vote for a coherent, effective carbon pricing system that sets the right price signals to phase out the use of fossil fuels. But it is also important to carefully balance the impact that carbon pricing will have on road users, and to make sure that they get widespread access to appropriately priced low- and zero-emission alternatives.”
Revenues should therefore be used to help the road sector in its transition, to mitigate impacts and to ensure low- and zero-emission alternatives become widely available in time.
We urge MEPs to vote for a coherent, effective carbon pricing system that sets the right price signals to phase out the use of fossil fuels.
Notes for editors
- ACEA’s position paper, ‘EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for road transport’ can be found here: https://www.acea.auto/publication/position-paper-eu-emissions-trading-system-ets-for-road-transport/.
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About ACEA
- The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is the Brussels-based trade association of the 14 major car, van, truck and bus producers in Europe.
- The ACEA commercial vehicle members are DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ford Trucks, Iveco Group, MAN Truck & Bus, Scania, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and Volvo Group.
- Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.
- Contact: Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47.
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About the EU automobile industry
- 13.0 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
- 11.5% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
- €374.6 billion in tax revenue for European governments
- €101.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
- Over 7% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
- €59.1 billion in R&D spending annually, 31% of EU total