Transport pledges at COP26 in Glasgow

The just-concluded climate conference in Glasgow adopted a number of declarations regarding greenhouse gas emissions from transport. They represent slight progress in making transport climate friendlier. However, the planned measures are not enough to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Russia is taking certain steps to decarbonize transport, but they are also insufficient yet.

Transport is responsible for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Therefore, an early cessation of these emissions, as well as of greenhouse gas emissions in other sectors of the world economy, is necessary for the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

At the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, transport-related issues were discussed over two days, November 10 and 11. UK and UN officials report progress in negotiations on fighting transport greenhouse gas emissions. The main one is signing the Declaration on accelerating the transition to 100% zero emission cars and vans.

The signatory governments of twenty-four countries (including the United Kingdom, Poland and Canada) are committed to work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission by 2040 or earlier, or by no later than 2035 in leading markets.

The goals set by these countries are quite ambitious. After all, zero greenhouse gas emissions from cars mean not only replacement of the car fleet with electric vehicles, but also production of electricity exclusively from renewable energy sources.

On the other hand, only 24 out of almost two hundred countries signed the declaration. In addition, the countries that did not join the declaration include the largest emitters of carbon dioxide. These are China (31% of global emissions in 2020), the USA (13.5%), India (7.0%), Russia (4.5%), Japan (3.0%), Germany (2.0%) and others. It should also be borne in mind that, in addition to cars and vans, there are other types of cars: trucks, buses, etc., to which the declaration does not apply. According to the results of the analysis by the International Energy Agency, in order to implement the Paris Agreement, the sale of cars with internal combustion engines should be completely banned all around the world as early as 2035, as the average lifespan of cars is about 15 years, and it is necessary to completely stop CO2 emissions from transport in 2050 (as in all other sectors of the economy).

The governments of ten countries with economies in transition and developing countries (including India, Turkey and Ukraine) have joined the declaration with much more modest and vague commitments: to work intensely towards accelerated proliferation and adoption of zero emission vehicles.

More than forty city, state and regional governments have joined the declaration and have pledged to work towards converting their owned or leased car and van fleets to zero emission vehicles by 2035 at the latest, as well as putting in place policies that will enable, accelerate, or otherwise incentivise the transition to zero emission vehicles as soon as possible, to the extent possible given their jurisdictional powers. The list of signatory cities includes, inter alia, Atlanta, Barcelona, Bologna, Bristol, Buenos Aires, Dallas, Florence, Lagos, Los Angeles, New York, Reykjavik, Rome, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Seoul. The states and regions include British Columbia, Catalonia, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Scotland and Wales, and the US states of California, New York, and Washington.

Several car manufacturers have also signed the declaration. Among them are Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo Cars. They promise to work towards reaching 100% zero emission new car and van sales in leading markets by 2035 or earlier. Unfortunately, most of the car producing giants in Germany, France, Italy and Japan did not join the declaration. While the deadline of 2035 is quite correct, there are two pitfalls remaining. These firms only promise to “strive”, not to “achieve”. In addition, the promise only applies to “leading markets.”

Some business fleet owners and operators, or shared mobility platforms have also joined the declaration. They will work towards 100% of our car and van fleets being zero emission vehicles by 2030, or earlier where markets allow. This is good news. It will be good if Uber and the like become an example in the transition to climate-friendly vehicles.

Fifteen countries have agreed to work together toward 100% zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040. Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Wales are also setting an interim target under the new Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles: to reach 30% of sales of new trucks and buses with zero emissions by 2030.

Besides road transport, water and air transport remain a big problem. Ships and planes used for medium and long-haul flights cannot be electrified (too heavy batteries are needed). Chemical fuels with zero carbon footprint should be used instead of electrifying them.

Twenty-two countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, have signed the Declaration for green shipping corridors. The signatories of the Declaration are to support the establishment of green shipping corridors – zero-emission maritime routes between 2 (or more) ports. The signatories have pledged to support the establishment of at least 6 green corridors by the middle of this decade.

As for aviation, over 80 enterprises of the aviation industry and large corporate clients have decided by signing the 2030 Ambition Statement already before KC26 to bring the share of aviation fuel with zero carbon footprint to 10% of global demand by 2030. This is a thousand times more than today and will prevent 60 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and create 300,000 green jobs. However, the share of such fuel in 2030 must be 50% for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Russia has not joined the aforementioned declarations. However, this August, the Government approved the Concept for development of electric transport in Russia until 2030. According to this Concept, it is planned to produce at least 25 thousand electric vehicles and launch 9,400 charging stations across the country by the end of 2024. And by the end of 2030, the production of electric vehicles should account for at least 10 percent of the total volume of vehicles produced and at least 72 thousand charging stations should be put into operation, of which at least 28 thousand fast charging stations, as well as at least 1000 hydrogen filling stations.

In the meantime, the sales of electric vehicles in Russia are low. The market volume for BEVs in Russia in the first five months of 2021 amounted to 650 units, which is 7 times more than in January-May 2020. However, it amounts to only less than 0.1% of total sales. In Norway, with a population 30 times less than in Russia, the number of electric vehicles sold in 2020 was 346 921, about 50% of the total sales, and in China – more than 900 thousand, i. e. more than 17% of the total sales. Moscow (a member of C40, a network of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborating in confronting the climate crisis) has plans to develop hydrogen public transport. Testing such transport is planned to begin in the next two years.

Olga Senova, Head of the RSEU Climate Program, believes: “What has been achieved with regard to transport at KS26 is a step in the right direction. But this is such a tiny step (as well as agreements on measures in other sectors of the economy) that so far there is no reason to hope that the goals of the Paris Agreement – limiting global warming to two degrees – will be met. Much more substantial efforts are needed, and more quickly. These efforts should be made primarily by the countries responsible for the largest anthropogenic share of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of our planet, including Russia." According to Olga Senova, “The transport using natural gas, which is advertised in Russia as clean one, is not a carbon-free solution. Electric and hydrogen transport should be developed in Russia, and renewable energy should be a source of energy for it. This will be a real move towards the carbon-free future."

Transport is responsible for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Therefore, an early cessation of these emissions, as well as of greenhouse gas emissions in other sectors of the world economy, is necessary for the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.

At the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, transport-related issues were discussed over two days, November 10 and 11. UK and UN officials report progress in negotiations on fighting transport greenhouse gas emissions. The main one is signing the Declaration on accelerating the transition to 100% zero emission cars and vans.

The signatory governments of twenty-four countries (including the United Kingdom, Poland and Canada) are committed to work towards all sales of new cars and vans being zero emission by 2040 or earlier, or by no later than 2035 in leading markets.

The goals set by these countries are quite ambitious. After all, zero greenhouse gas emissions from cars mean not only replacement of the car fleet with electric vehicles, but also production of electricity exclusively from renewable energy sources.

On the other hand, only 24 out of almost two hundred countries signed the declaration. In addition, the countries that did not join the declaration include the largest emitters of carbon dioxide. These are China (31% of global emissions in 2020), the USA (13.5%), India (7.0%), Russia (4.5%), Japan (3.0%), Germany (2.0%) and others. It should also be borne in mind that, in addition to cars and vans, there are other types of cars: trucks, buses, etc., to which the declaration does not apply. According to the results of the analysis by the International Energy Agency, in order to implement the Paris Agreement, the sale of cars with internal combustion engines should be completely banned all around the world as early as 2035, as the average lifespan of cars is about 15 years, and it is necessary to completely stop CO2 emissions from transport in 2050 (as in all other sectors of the economy).

The governments of ten countries with economies in transition and developing countries (including India, Turkey and Ukraine) have joined the declaration with much more modest and vague commitments: to work intensely towards accelerated proliferation and adoption of zero emission vehicles.

More than forty city, state and regional governments have joined the declaration and have pledged to work towards converting their owned or leased car and van fleets to zero emission vehicles by 2035 at the latest, as well as putting in place policies that will enable, accelerate, or otherwise incentivise the transition to zero emission vehicles as soon as possible, to the extent possible given their jurisdictional powers. The list of signatory cities includes, inter alia, Atlanta, Barcelona, Bologna, Bristol, Buenos Aires, Dallas, Florence, Lagos, Los Angeles, New York, Reykjavik, Rome, San Francisco, Sao Paulo and Seoul. The states and regions include British Columbia, Catalonia, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Scotland and Wales, and the US states of California, New York, and Washington.

Several car manufacturers have also signed the declaration. Among them are Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo Cars. They promise to work towards reaching 100% zero emission new car and van sales in leading markets by 2035 or earlier. Unfortunately, most of the car producing giants in Germany, France, Italy and Japan did not join the declaration. While the deadline of 2035 is quite correct, there are two pitfalls remaining. These firms only promise to “strive”, not to “achieve”. In addition, the promise only applies to “leading markets.”

Some business fleet owners and operators, or shared mobility platforms have also joined the declaration. They will work towards 100% of our car and van fleets being zero emission vehicles by 2030, or earlier where markets allow. This is good news. It will be good if Uber and the like become an example in the transition to climate-friendly vehicles.

Fifteen countries have agreed to work together toward 100% zero-emission new truck and bus sales by 2040. Austria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay and Wales are also setting an interim target under the new Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles: to reach 30% of sales of new trucks and buses with zero emissions by 2030.

Besides road transport, water and air transport remain a big problem. Ships and planes used for medium and long-haul flights cannot be electrified (too heavy batteries are needed). Chemical fuels with zero carbon footprint should be used instead of electrifying them.

Twenty-two countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, have signed the Declaration for green shipping corridors. The signatories of the Declaration are to support the establishment of green shipping corridors – zero-emission maritime routes between 2 (or more) ports. The signatories have pledged to support the establishment of at least 6 green corridors by the middle of this decade.

As for aviation, over 80 enterprises of the aviation industry and large corporate clients have decided by signing the 2030 Ambition Statement already before KC26 to bring the share of aviation fuel with zero carbon footprint to 10% of global demand by 2030. This is a thousand times more than today and will prevent 60 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and create 300,000 green jobs. However, the share of such fuel in 2030 must be 50% for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Russia has not joined the aforementioned declarations. However, this August, the Government approved the Concept for development of electric transport in Russia until 2030. According to this Concept, it is planned to produce at least 25 thousand electric vehicles and launch 9,400 charging stations across the country by the end of 2024. And by the end of 2030, the production of electric vehicles should account for at least 10 percent of the total volume of vehicles produced and at least 72 thousand charging stations should be put into operation, of which at least 28 thousand fast charging stations, as well as at least 1000 hydrogen filling stations.

In the meantime, the sales of electric vehicles in Russia are low. The market volume for BEVs in Russia in the first five months of 2021 amounted to 650 units, which is 7 times more than in January-May 2020. However, it amounts to only less than 0.1% of total sales. In Norway, with a population 30 times less than in Russia, the number of electric vehicles sold in 2020 was 346 921, about 50% of the total sales, and in China – more than 900 thousand, i. e. more than 17% of the total sales. Moscow (a member of C40, a network of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborating in confronting the climate crisis) has plans to develop hydrogen public transport. Testing such transport is planned to begin in the next two years.

Olga Senova, Head of the RSEU Climate Program, believes: “What has been achieved with regard to transport at KS26 is a step in the right direction. But this is such a tiny step (as well as agreements on measures in other sectors of the economy) that so far there is no reason to hope that the goals of the Paris Agreement – limiting global warming to two degrees – will be met. Much more substantial efforts are needed, and more quickly. These efforts should be made primarily by the countries responsible for the largest anthropogenic share of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere of our planet, including Russia." According to Olga Senova, “The transport using natural gas, which is advertised in Russia as clean one, is not a carbon-free solution. Electric and hydrogen transport should be developed in Russia, and renewable energy should be a source of energy for it. This will be a real move towards the carbon-free future."

 

A. Fedorov