Opening speech by Vivianne Heijnen, Minister for the Environment, at the COP28 side event ‘Transport Decarbonization at Scale – Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles’
“I’m really proud that a growing number of countries are recognizing the importance of this Global MoU. It clearly illustrates the ever-growing momentum for zero-emission freight technology. I thank you all for taking this major step in our mission to create a better, cleaner and sustainable future. Let’s move forward with zero-emission transport.” This said minister for the Environment, Vivianne Heijnen, at the COP28 side event ‘Transport Decarbonization at Scale – Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles.
Hello everyone,
Just a few years ago, emissions from trucks and buses were considered hard to abate. Today we luckily know better: we’re able to reduce these emissions drastically and swiftly. There’s a growing number of zero-emission trucks and buses on our roads, and they’re here to stay. Zero emission is the future, and that future starts now!
Manufacturers have expressed strong ambitions for all new vehicles sold to be zero emission by 2030. We know from many studies that these vehicles are not only available, but that they’re also increasingly cost-competitive. Price parity with diesel trucks is expected to come before the end of this decade.
That doesn’t mean that we can sit back and consider our job done. In fact, we need to shift gears and accelerate further.
As has been done around the world for solar and wind energy, we need to secure investment to make the transition happen for trucks, and to make the prices drop more. That will require action by governments, investors, fleet owners and manufacturers – all represented here today.
We’ve organized this event and panel discussion together with our valued partners; the Californian NGO CALSTART and Smart Freight Centre. We’d like to hear from different critical actors in this sector to see what they can contribute and what is needed in order to solve this complex puzzle.
If we want to align transport emissions with the Paris Agreement, we need clear ambitions. That’s why the Netherlands initiated the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles together with CALSTART at COP26 in Glasgow.
Signatory countries and endorsers of the Global MoU have expressed their aspiration to have all sales of new trucks and buses be zero-emission by 2040. In Glasgow we started with 15 signatory countries and today – two years later at COP28 in Dubai several new countries have signed and 25 parties have endorsed the MoU.
I’m really proud that a growing number of countries are recognizing the importance of this Global MoU. It clearly illustrates the ever-growing momentum for zero-emission freight technology. I thank you all for taking this major step in our mission to create a better, cleaner and sustainable future. Let’s move forward with zero-emission transport!
Thank you.