CEOs from 50 companies—including Volvo Car, Iberdrola, and Uber—have called on the European Union (EU) not to reopen its zero emissions target for cars and vans by 2035.
In a statement published by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E), executives from across the automotive value chain, clean technologies, transport, and energy, including the leasing company Ayvens, assert that the target set by the EU is “feasible and necessary.”
“The 2035 target provides a clear direction that will allow companies, along with all other stakeholders, to focus on carrying out the necessary transformation,” the executives state.
“It also provides the much-needed investment certainty about the future of the automotive industry in Europe,” they add.
Electric vehicle manufacturers Polestar and Rivian also signed the statement, along with British retailer Tesco and the largest Ikea franchise, Ingka.
In Spain, in addition to the energy company Iberdrola, seven other companies such as Zunder, Wallbox, and Circontrol have joined the statement.
The signatories declare their firm commitment to the EU’s climate neutrality target for 2050 and note that many of them have made significant investments to make it a reality.
“Therefore, we urge policymakers not to reopen the recently approved CO2 standards for cars and vans for 2026 and to maintain the target of 100% zero-emission cars by 2035,” the statement reads.
The companies also point out that the zero emissions target for 2035 received a democratic mandate from EU governments and MEPs in March 2023.
Furthermore, they advocate that instead of reopening already agreed legislation, efforts should focus on implementing what has already been agreed upon, which includes specific industrial policy and investment support for a sustainable local battery value chain, the rollout of charging infrastructure and clean electricity supply, greening corporate fleets, and retraining workers for the electrification of the economy.
In this regard, they remind in the document that emissions from cars and vans represent over one-eighth (13%) of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.
“Modifying the 2035 target would destabilise the framework upon which companies have planned their investments. Instead, we should support the transition with a roadmap for boosting electric vehicles in Spain, focused on accelerating charging infrastructure and fostering demand through a more agile electrification of fleets,” comments Isabell Büschel, T&E Director in Spain.
