Climate Group launches ZEV Pledge for government fleets

A number of national, regional, state and city governments in the US, Canada, Mexico and the UK have made a commitment to convert their fleets to zero-emission vehicles by 2040. This involves a total of 121,355 vehicles, almost a third of which are medium- or heavy-duty vehicles.

The first governments participating have made the voluntary commitment as part of the Climate Group’s newly launched ZEV Pledge initiative. The Climate Group is best known for its EV100 initiative, in which large companies commit to completely electrifying their fleets by 2030. Currently, 120 multinational companies are participating.

With the new ZEV Pledge initiative, an alliance has been set up for government agencies willing to make the switch. Here, governments at all levels, as well as individual departments, agencies and public sector bodies, pledge to convert their entire owned or leased fleets, where feasible, to zero-emission vehicles as soon a possible and by set target dates at the latest.

Sandra Roling, Head of Transport at the Climate Group says it is important to build on the momentum for clean road transport after COP26. “More than half a billion vehicles on the road are owned or operated by governments, public sector organisations and businesses. There is huge potential to use this collective purchasing power to drive the auto market towards a cleaner future,” she explains.

The list of signatories currently includes nine locations in North America and the UK. In Canada, the provinces of British Columbia and Quebec are committing to 100 per cent zero-emission light-duty vehicles (vehicles with more than four wheels) by 2035 and 100 per cent zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. In Mexico, the state of Jalisco is committing to 100 per cent zero-emission buses by 2030.

In the US, the state of California wants only zero-emission buses on the road by 2030, light-duty vehicles (vehicles with more than four wheels) by 2035 and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. The states of Washington and New York are also aiming for 100 per cent zero-emission light-duty vehicles (vehicles with 4 or more wheels) by 2035 and only zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. The City of New York is following suit with the goal for zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040.

The most comprehensive commitment since it is on a national level is in the UK, where the UK government has made a commitment to 100 per cent zero-emission light commercial vehicles (vehicles with more than four wheels) by 2027, the Scottish government to the same target by 2035, and only zero-emission heavy commercial vehicles by 2040.

The Climate Group says that vehicles owned or operated by a company, government agency or other organisation accounted for a quarter (24 per cent) of vehicles on the road globally, but contributed to more than half (56 per cent) of road transport emissions. The ZEV Pledge initiative is designed to flank the COP26 agreement for which over 30 countries, 11 carmakers and other partners issued a joint declaration to move away from the internal combustion engine.

Source: Information via email