Forwarding, Freight News, Road


Trade calls on Commission not to force the issue on zero-carbon trucks

[ October 13, 2025   //   ]

Four European trade associations have written to the President of the European Commission calling on her not to impose mandatory zero-emission truck demand targets.

In a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the CLECAT forwarders association, the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), and the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA), said that such mandates would slow market-driven progress and create unnecessary pressure on operators and shippers.

ESC secretary general Godfried Smit said, “Reduction of the carbon footprint is still a very important objective for cargo owners. The reduction of emissions will be marginal for own account transport operators using their vehicles for a low number of kilometres. In this way obliging own account transport operators using zero-emission trucks can be seen as using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

Zero-emission truck registrations in the EU rose in early 2025, even as overall heavy-duty vehicle sales declined, showing that the sector is moving forward where conditions allow. However, charging networks, grid capacity, and vehicle affordability remain major barriers to scaling up.

The signatories warn that binding purchase or use targets would place disproportionate burdens on smaller firms, which make up over 95% of Europe’s 600,000 road transport operators.

They also note that several transport segments, such as cold-chain logistics, construction, and chemical transport, face specific technical and operational barriers to electrification, making a one-size-fits-all mandate both impractical and economically damaging.

The signatories are calling for targeted purchase incentives to make zero-emission trucks more affordable, accelerated investment in depot and public charging infrastructure and a coherent financing framework that reinvests revenues from instruments such as the Eurovignette and ETS 2 directly into road-transport decarbonisation.

Tags: