Today, a broad agreement has been reached between the government, the Socialist People's Party, the Conservative People's Party, Enhedslisten and Radikale Venstre on more support for the green conversion of heavy transport towards 2030. In addition to funds that were allocated to the Finance Act for 2024, they come from the Partial Disbursement of the "Green Fund", which altogether amounts to approx. DKK 5 billion to strengthen the climate, environment and nature area.

Specifically, the government will increase the diesel tax by 50 øre per liters at the same time as a slower and cheaper phasing in of the toll for lorries until 2028, when the toll is fully phased in. Here, DKK 250 million will be set aside annually from 2025-2028 to reduce the already adopted kilometer-based and CO2-differentiated road tax for trucks.

"It is good that we are starting to approximate the Danish diesel tax to the German one, but it is unnecessary to have a lower road tax than the one originally proposed, which is already significantly below the German level" says Daria Rivin, Senior Advisor at the environmental organization Green Transition Denmark, and continues:

"Everything that there are no reductions for in other sectors, such as agriculture, must be found in the transport sector. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that, with the road tax and the diesel tax, we now have some buttons we can turn on, so that it becomes cheaper and more attractive to buy and drive green.”

At the same time, the government also presented new plans for support for trucks. In addition to the DKK 300 million that was set aside for the Finance Act for 2024, a further DKK 450 million has now been set aside. The DKK 750 million must specifically go to green conversion and efficiency improvements in heavy transport from 2024-2030. The framework for the payment has not yet been determined.

"The overall total cost of electric trucks will eventually become cheaper than diesel, but until then there is a need to accelerate electrification through support schemes specifically for electric trucks," says Daria Rivin.

Green Transition Denmark works for a rapid and sustainable transformation of the transport sector, both nationally and in the EU.

Today, the EU Parliament has formally confirmed the agreement on stricter CO2 requirements for new heavy vehicles, which they have entered into with the EU's Council of Ministers. The agreement means that the truck and bus manufacturers must collectively reduce the average CO2 emissions from new trucks and tourist buses by 45 per cent in 2030, 65 per cent in 2035 and 90 per cent in 2040. It is estimated to reduce the annual CO2 emissions from trucks and buses by 62 per cent by 2050, compared to 1990.

The stricter requirements for truck and bus manufacturers will help the European industry to compete with foreign manufacturers who are largely developing electric trucks and buses. At the same time, this will mean that there will be more and cheaper electric trucks and buses on the European market sooner.

"In practice, the EU has decided to strengthen the competitiveness of heavy road transport at a critical time when both the US and China are stepping on the accelerator. With electric trucks, driving becomes cheaper within a shorter number of years, which is a competitive advantage. Not only for truck manufacturers and the transport industry, but for the entire European industry that depends on truck transport,” says Daria Rivin, Senior Advisor within climate and transport at the Green Transition Denmark.

She emphasizes that the stricter CO2 requirements must be seen as a strategic decision in the context of the electrification of road transport, the installation of rapid chargers for electric vehicles throughout Europe, and the EU's investment in building the entire value chain, from raw materials to batteries and the overall vehicle.

"The new requirements both create security around the technological development and minimize the costs for the green conversion of trucks and buses. At the same time, they mean that manufacturers will step up investments in zero-emission solutions and thus scale up production more quickly. And it is a great advantage for the many hauliers who are ready to convert themselves,” says Daria Rivin and continues:

"Green conversion does not make sense with a red bottom line. Therefore, climate policy is also transport and industrial policy.”

From 2035, the CO2 requirements also apply to special vehicles such as garbage trucks and cement mixers. Trailer manufacturers must also reduce the emissions of truck trailers by 10 per cent in 2030. In 2030, 90 per cent of new city buses must be zero-emission and in 2035, new city buses with internal combustion engines may no longer be sold.

It is expected that the CO2 requirements will lead to at least 31 per cent of the new trucks and buses sold in the EU in 2030 being zero emission, and more than three quarters (77 per cent) in 2040. Looking at the total fleet , it is expected that 30 per cent of the heavy vehicles in Europe will be zero-emission in 2040. In Northern European countries, sales are expected to be significantly higher. In Denmark, sales of electric trucks in the first quarter of 2024 accounted for a whopping 6,75 percent of total sales and a projection shows, that Danish sales are expected to reach around 70 per cent of new sales in 2030.

The agreement must now be formally confirmed by the EU's Council of Ministers before the law comes into force.

Green Transition Denmark works for a rapid and sustainable transformation of society, both nationally and in the EU.

Today, the EU has decided to tighten the CO2 requirements for new heavy vehicles. The agreement means that the truck manufacturers must overall reduce the CO2 emissions from new trucks by 45 per cent in 2030, 65 per cent in 2035 and 90 per cent in 2040. This will mean that there will be more and cheaper zero-emission trucks, such as e.g. electric trucks on the market.

"The days of polluting trucks and buses are now numbered. The EU's stricter CO2 requirements for heavy vehicles are a really big step in the right direction, and absolutely crucial for reducing the climate impact from trucks and buses," says Daria Rivin, climate and transport advisor at the Green Transition Denmark, and continues:

"Many hauliers in Denmark and Europe would like to electrify their trucks and buses. At the moment, the selection is limited and the prices high, which in practice makes it difficult for especially small truckers to change. The stricter CO2 requirements for heavy vehicles mean that more is invested in zero-emission trucks and buses, that they become cheaper faster and that the transition is accelerated."

As something new, in addition to requirements for several types of trucks, requirements must also be made for new buses and truck trailers. The tourist buses must reduce their CO2 emissions at the same rate as the trucks, while new fossil city buses must be completely phased out by 2035 throughout the EU. At the same time, truck trailers must reduce CO2 emissions by 10 per cent in 2030.

"Although the EU's requirements are a big step forward, we would have liked to see an even faster phasing out of fossil trucks and buses, with an actual end date for the internal combustion engine. Without complete phasing out, the EU risks being overtaken internally by vehicle manufacturers from China and the United States,” says Daria Rivin.

Furthermore, the EU has decided that e-Fuels and biofuels cannot be used to achieve the targets.

The agreement must now be confirmed by the EU's Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

Green Transition Denmark works for a rapid and sustainable transformation of society, both nationally and in the EU.