Accelerating freight sector decarbonisation: summary of Aldersgate Group/Zemo workshop
Mon 03 March 2025
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A joint Zemo Partnership/Aldersgate Group workshop, held in January, explored practitioner experiences of efforts to decarbonise heavy goods vehicles. Participants agreed that in the long-term all HGVs need to be electrified, but there was some uncertainty about whether this will be achievable by 2050.
Participants at the workshop represented views from haulage companies, supermarkets, other major freight users, consulting and trade associations (A full list of participants is included at the end of the linked document). The vehicles discussed were haulage HGVs specifically rather than specialist machinery or construction vehicles, for which different conclusions might apply.
The key findings of the workshop were:
1. In the long term, all HGVs need to be electrified. This is expected to be feasible eventually, but with major caveats as to whether full electrification of HGVs in 2050 is deliverable.
2. Practical challenges and technology uncertainty affect delivery timeframes and market confidence.
3. Hydrogen is not widely expected to play a significant role in HGV decarbonisation.
4. Biomethane, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biodiesel will be important fuel sources, certainly in the short to medium term and potentially up to 2040 and beyond.
5. A range of other possible alternatives (e.g. modal shift and automation) influence business models and therefore individual investment choices.
6. More clarity is needed from the government on technology pathways, with support being tailored accordingly.
7. Focused measures are needed in the 2025 Spending Review to accelerate longterm HGV electrification and short-term decarbonisation through low carbon fuels.
The linked briefing note draws together the findings from the workshop and makes recommendations for how the UK Government can work with industry to accelerate HGV decarbonisation more effectively.
Image: Courtesy, Wolfgang Hasselman, Unsplash
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