CLECAT WELCOMES AGREEMENT ON COUNT EMISSIONSEU
CLECAT welcomes the political agreement reached this week on CountEmissionsEU Regulation, a new Regulation that will establish a single EU-wide methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from freight and passenger transport services. The CountEmissionsEU framework will improve transparency, comparability, and reliability of emissions data across all transport modes. By introducing a common and internationally recognised approach based on EN ISO 14083:2023, the Regulation will support companies in benchmarking their performance, making informed procurement and investment decisions, and providing consistent information to customers.
CLECAT has strongly supported the Commission proposal over the past years, advocating for a harmonised, practical and widely applicable framework for emissions calculation in transport. The outcome of the trilogue negotiations reflects these objectives, ensuring that the Regulation will focus on operational emissions only, in line with the ISO standard, while avoiding unnecessary complexity and administrative burden for businesses, in particular SMEs.
Under the new rules, companies will not be obliged to calculate their emissions. However, those that choose to do so, for reporting, contractual or marketing purposes, will be required to apply the EU’s common methodology. The European Commission, with support from the European Environment Agency (EEA), will develop two public databases and a free calculation tool to support implementation and facilitate access for SMEs.
The agreement also includes a review clause, under which the European Commission will, after four years, assess the possibility of extending the methodology to cover life-cycle emissions, should data quality and international standards allow.
CLECAT commends the Danish Presidency, the European Parliament, and the European Commission for their constructive work in reaching this agreement. The preliminary deal now awaits formal approval by the Council and the European Parliament before entering into force.