CEO of Climate Change Committee acknowledges EV transition challenges

The Climate Change Committee says it wants to better understand challenges with transition to electric vans. The pair highlighted that transport and heating decarbonisation should be the government’s top priorities.  

When answering questions from MPs on transport, Emily Nurse explained that the uptake of electric vans is a major challenge and stated the CCC is eager to engage directly with van fleets to better understand barriers to adoption.  

Logistics UK will contact the CCC to provide information on this. Emma Pinchbeck highlighted the need for detailed government strategies to meet decarbonisation targets. She underscored the importance of addressing systemic regulatory and policy barriers, particularly in areas like renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency.

When answering questions from MPs on transport  on whether the capability of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Pinchbeck stressed that achieving net zero is a cross-government effort, requiring strong leadership, Treasury backing and the alignment of responsibilities across departments.

In addition to decarbonisation, the CCC is calling for greater emphasis on climate adaptation. Pinchbeck acknowledged that adaptation has historically been overlooked and under-resourced compared to mitigation.

Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director, Policy for Logistics UK said: "The logistics sector is committed to decarbonising, but this must be a fair transition that keeps costs down for businesses, public services and households while maintaining resilient supply chains.

“The only way to achieve that is through partnership, with a plan co-developed between businesses and government to get to net zero and phase out fossil fuels.

"Logistics UK – alongside partners of the Zero Emission Van Plan Campaign – has been calling on government to ensure van fleet operators have the confidence to invest in zero emission vehicles. 

“A simple legislative change requiring no infrastructure would be to align 4.25 tonne electric vans with 3.5 tonne diesel vans. The batteries in electric vans make them heavier than the equivalent sized diesel vans, meaning operators that make the switch are exposed to costly licensing, more expensive MOTs and drivers’ hours rules designed for HGVs.