The European Union approved on Monday a law to regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of heavy-duty vehicles to a stricter standard. The EU stated that heavy-duty vehicles account for more than 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions from road transport in the region.

The regulation proposes various objectives. Besides maintaining the 2025 emissions reduction target of 15 percent for heavy trucks, the regulation also establishes new targets. New targets include reducing emissions of medium lorries, heavy trucks over 7.5 tonnes and vocational vehicles by 65 and 90 percent from 2035 and 2040, respectively. The regulation also introduces new plans for a zero-emission target for new urban buses by 2035. The regulation will be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU and will be reviewed by the European Commission in 2027.

This move comes as the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal on February 14, 2023 to revise CO2 emission standards of heavy-duty vehicles. The proposal also required regulations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport to be a key element of the European Green Deal, which is part of the EU’s commitment to tackling environmental challenges. The EU previously stated that the proposal would aid the EU in reaching its 2050 climate neutrality target, improve air quality and health and decrease fuel expenditure.

Relatedly, on March 28, 2023, EU ministers adopted legislation to phase out sales of new carbon-emitting cars and vans by 2035. The law called for a gradual reduction of the eco-innovation credits available to manufacturers and regular reports detailing progress toward these goals. The EU agreed on October 27, 2022 to introduce new air pollution legislation with stricter CO2 emission standards for cars and a goal to phase out CO2 emitting vehicles by 2035.