Clean transport group Clean Cities, has identified 35 cities which have committed to phase-in zero-emission zones for freight ahead of the introduction of the very first zero-emission zones in Europe in 2025. The majority of the cities are in The Netherlands, as a national law mandates zero-emission delivery zones. But other cities have also taken the initiative and introduced their own zones.
“Rotterdam was among the first cities to set up a local business alliance for clean logistics, and the success of this work has helped kick-start work on a national roadmap on zero-emission logistics that was adopted in 2021,” Barbara Stoll, Director of Clean Cities, told Cities Today. “The collaborative approach has put the roll-out of zero-emission zones in the fast lane, and inspired others to follow suit such as Brussels and Vienna.”
Cleaning up road freight is a key challenge in Europe. Clean Cities states that although vans and trucks make up just 13 percent of vehicles on EU roads, they contribute 51 percent of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and 40 percent of greenhouse gases from road transport.