1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188 
IN SUPPORT
Page 26
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
The decision to withdraw the proposed grant programme that was being considered via the Energy Saving Trust has left little, if anything, to encourage the road haulage industry to invest additional sums of its hardearned cash in technologies that will help to minimise exhaust emissions.
Historically, the UK government has encouraged the early adoption of measures to reduce emissions by the road haulage industry. This has been achieved through Reduced Pollution Certificates (FiPC), which were simple to administer and reasonably effective.
Euro-5 technology is available well ahead of the 2009 deadline and it would seem perverse if encouragement were not provided to those hauliers far-sighted enough to appreciate the environmental benefits of operating vehicles that meet the very latest emission standards. Not only would this help to reduce controlled emissions, but in addition, and perhaps more importantly, it would also reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that the government is so keen to minimise.
Without incentives the road haulage industry will, from October 2006, purchase Euro-4 vehicles. Only those companies with a particularly environmentally friendly corporate policy will pay the additional sums required and purchase vehicles that comply with the Euro-5 standard. While this is entirely in line with the requirements
i-, of the European Union, it doesn't take into account the fact that all truck manufacturers in Europe have Euro-5 vehicles available today. How then could hauliers be encouraged to adopt the latest Euro standard available?
NICK BLAKE TRUCK MARKETING AND SALES ENGINEERING MANAGER "Adopting Euro-5 will benefit the environment" For a very small sum, in terms of Treasury spending, the road haulage industry could be encouraged to adopt Euro-5 early and benefit the environment in a similar way to that which our European neighbours are doing. While the RPC scheme does not have a significant effect on companies that purchase vehicles at the lighter end of the weight range, it can and does influence companies that operate vehicles above 32 tonnes.
Ills a pity more help could not be afforded to the lighter vehicles that operate within urban conurbations. Perhaps government will introduce enhanced capital allowances for vehicles that conform to the next emission standard due come into force, ie Euro-5 from October and Euro-6 when Euro-5 becomes mandatory.
There is one thing that is certain: we need the road haulage industry for UK plc to function, and for the foreseeable future the majority of goods vehicles will have diesel engines. The less fuel that we burn, the less carbon dioxide will be emitted, and Euro-5 using SCR is every bit as fuel-efficient as Euro-4 using SCR. The lower the controlled emissions the better the environment will be for everybody, and of course Euro-5 has lower controlled emissions than Euro-4.
If this is true, and of course it is, then any help the government can provide should not only be welcomed but positively encouraged. If the government does not provide an incentive for the early introduction of Euro-5 from October we should, quite rightly, ask it to.
Is the government concerned for the environment and about climate change at all?