#MoveTheDate
1.4
Days
Implementing stricter emissions standards for freight trucks would move Earth Overshoot Day by 1.4 days.
What is the solution?
Adopting fuel standards for new trucks, such as the 2019 European Union regulation which mandates a 30% average reduction in emissions for new trucks by 2030.
This solution improves our resource security in the energy category.
How does it #MoveTheDate?
Emissions from heavy trucks, which represent approximately 4% of global emissions, could be reduced through fuel efficiency and alternative fuels.
How is it scalable?
Trucks still rely primarily on diesel fuels. China, the US, the EU, India, Japan, and Canada have all implemented emissions standards over the past decade. However, many of these standards are quite modest, and a third of global truck sales are not covered by any standards.
What is the solution?
Adopting fuel standards for new trucks, such as the 2019 European Union regulation which mandates a 30% average reduction in emissions for new trucks by 2030.
This solution improves our resource security in the energy category.
How does it #MoveTheDate?
Emissions from heavy trucks, which represent approximately 4% of global emissions, could be reduced through fuel efficiency and alternative fuels.
How is it scalable?
Trucks still rely primarily on diesel fuels. China, the US, the EU, India, Japan, and Canada have all implemented emissions standards over the past decade. However, many of these standards are quite modest, and a third of global truck sales are not covered by any standards.
In addition to supporting a reduction in carbon emissions, stricter regulations for truck emissions supports healthier communities. While heavy-duty vehicles emit a significant component of transportation-related greenhouse gases, they also produce toxic air pollutants that significantly increase the risk of cancer and other severe health challenges for residents who live near their routes. In many places, truck routes traverse low-income communities of color who are at most at risk from severe health consequences.
Without stricter emissions standards, communities along truck routes will continue to be subjected to a disproportionate share of air pollution, causing asthma, cancer, and other negative health impacts. Legislation that addresses heavy-truck emissions also supports climate goals and helps reduce major health impacts in local communities. Moreover, cleaner air can make it easier and safer for communities to walk, bike, and take public transit, further supporting the ultimate goal of great lives for all within the means of our planet.
There’s no benefit in waiting!
Acting now puts you at a strategic advantage in a world increasingly defined by ecological overshoot. Countless solutions exist that #MoveTheDate. They’re creative, economically viable, and ready to deploy at scale. With them, we can make ourselves more resilient and #MoveTheDate of Earth Overshoot Day. If we move the date 6 days each year, humanity can be out of overshoot before 2050.