New UNEP Report Reveals Heavy-Duty Vehicles’ Disproportionate Environmental Impact

A latest report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), launched in Nairobi, Kenya, on Thursday, February 22nd, 2024, during the UNEA 6 meeting, shows concerning trends in heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) exports. Despite comprising a mere 3.6% of the global automotive trade’s total value, the report reveals a staggering 30% surge in associated CO2 emissions since 2000, with trucks contributing 80% to this increase.

Moreover, HDVs significantly contribute to environmental pollution, accounting for over 40% of on-road nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, over 60% of on-road particulate matter (PM 2.5), and more than 20% of black carbon emissions.

The report, titled “Used Heavy Duty Vehicles and the Environment – A Global Overview of Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale and Regulation,” jointly launched by UNEP and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), offers the first global overview by the UN of the scale and regulation of used HDVs and their impact on global air pollution, road accidents, fuel consumption, and climate emissions. It also proposes measures to mitigate the adverse effects of used HDVs on public health and the climate.

According to the study, HDVs are projected to continue growing significantly due to increasing economic activities and the necessity for transportation of people and goods. However, regulations and enforcement regarding the quality of imported used HDVs are found to be inadequate, exacerbating their detrimental impacts, particularly in the case of old, polluting, and unsafe vehicles.

To date, no country has established minimum requirements for exporting used HDVs. Regulations in over half of used HDV importing countries are deemed ‘weak’ or ‘very weak,’ with inadequate enforcement. Only two countries have included used vehicles in their national climate action plans (NDCs).

Rob de Jong, head of UNEP’s Sustainable Mobility Unit, emphasized the necessity for ambitious regulations to curb emissions from trucks and buses, citing the potential of cleaner bus technologies to drive a global transition towards low and zero emissions transport.

The report underscores the shared responsibility of importing and exporting countries to ensure the presence of cleaner and safer used vehicles on developing countries’ roads. It advocates for regional cooperation in implementing and enforcing minimum standards, such as emission standards and age limits, to realize environmental and road safety benefits.

Better regulations on used HDVs can pave the way for greater adoption of advanced technologies, including electric buses and trucks, particularly in developing countries. The report represents an initial effort to quantify and qualify used heavy-duty vehicle flows, with export data from Japan, the European Union, and the Republic of Korea, covering approximately 60% of the total new and used HDV export market to 146 predominantly low- and middle-income countries.

However, the report acknowledges limitations, including discrepancies in statistics and the absence of publicly available data from major exporters like the USA and China.