UK – The Department of Transport published its Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which lays out how the government intends to reach its zero-emission targets, which include the ban of all diesel and petrol heavy goods vehicles from 2040. 

The document reports that 15.9% of transport emissions in 2019 came from HGVs. As such, the DoT has made a commitment to stimulate demand for zero-emission trucks through financial and non-financial incentives. However, while the document refers to existing funding schemes, it provides no concrete details of the government’s future plans to support the decarbonisation of truck fleets. In addition, the DoT will be promoting the shift of freight from roads to what it considers to be more sustainable alternatives, such as rail, cargo bike, and inland waterways. The department’s Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme and its Waterborne Freight Grant Schemes aim to remove around 900,000 HGVs from the road each year. From 2035, the government plans to ban the sale of diesel and petrol HGVs weighing under 26t, while the sale of those weighing above 26t will be banned from 2040, although these dates are still subject to consultation.