Climate Policy with Impact Instead of an Expensive CO2 Law

The Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association ASTAG aims to further improve the environmental and climate balance in road transport. At this year’s delegate assembly, attended by Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, a resolution titled “Climate Policy with Impact” was unanimously adopted. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the sector by 50 percent compared to 1990 through voluntary measures by 2030, and to significantly reduce them in the long term.

(Bern) Goods and passenger transport on the road is already operating cleanly today. Thanks to ongoing modernization of the vehicle fleets, over 94 percent of ton-kilometers are already covered by the latest commercial vehicles meeting EURO standards 5 and 6. Additionally, more and more trucks with alternative drive systems (electric, hydrogen, CNG/LNG, biogas) are in use. As a positive result, pollutant emissions have dropped to nearly zero. The share of heavy traffic in total CO2 emissions in Switzerland is only about 5 percent.

Delegate Assembly Held Virtually for the First Time

As the next step, the Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association ASTAG is focusing on a strengthened initiative from the road transport industry in favor of the environment and climate. At the 2021 delegate assembly – conducted virtually for the first time in the association’s history – a resolution titled “Climate Policy with Impact” was adopted. With this, ASTAG and its members clearly commit to further improving emission values in road transport. “Our industry has already done an enormous amount for as ecological transport as possible with voluntary investments in the billions for the modernization of vehicle fleets,” emphasized ASTAG Central President and Councilor Thierry Burkart to Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga, who delivered a greeting, and around 120 delegates: “Now we are intensifying our joint commitment!”

Effective Measures for Success

The concrete goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in goods and passenger transport on the road by 50 percent compared to 1990 by 2030 and to significantly reduce them in the long term. The means are reasonable, sensible, and effective measures on a voluntary basis. Based on the principle of self-commitment, CO2 savings should be achieved in the vehicle sector (alternative drives), fuel consumption (EcoDrive, driving assistance systems), order execution (optimization of route planning and utilization), and infrastructure (e.g., energy from photovoltaics). The resolution will come into effect on June 1, 2021. Thierry Burkart is confident that the industry will make an important and effective contribution to the environment and climate: “We are acting actively and successfully – while other circles limit themselves to unjustly putting road transport in the dock!”

Clear No to the CO2 Law

On the other hand, ASTAG clearly says no to the CO2 law in the popular vote on June 13, 2021. The proposal is of no benefit but incurs massive costs to the economy and the population. In particular, funds that were reserved by the public just four years ago, on February 12, 2017, for the National Road and Agglomeration Transport Fund NAF, are to be diverted into a new subsidy pot under the title “Climate Fund.” ASTAG clearly opposes this misuse of funds.

Among the regular agenda items of this year’s delegate assembly, Richard Huber and Nils Planzer were re-elected to the ASTAG administrative committee.

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