EU plans to introduce a single standardised methodology for transport emissions have shiftd a crucial step forward after “political agreement” was reached for the initiative last week.
The regulation, known as CountEmissionsEU, seeks to harmonise transport emissions calculations across Europe and has been going through the EU’s legislative process in recent years.
European travel acquireer association group BT4Europe called the shift a “win” for the continent’s business travel community after campaigning for the launch of harmonised emissions data for several years.
CountEmissionsEU will be based on internationally recognised methodology from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), known as ISO 14083. It will allow transport operators and applyrs to benchmark emissions from their services and give travellers the chance to “build informed choices” when choosing more sustainable transport options.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU’s commissioner for sustainable transport and tourism, declared: “CountEmissionsEU brings the clarity our transport sector requireds to drive increased efficiency and real emissions reductions.
“By applying a single methodology and offering tools for businesses, we enable informed choices across all transport modes. This supports travellers, shippers, acquireers and public procurers build lower carbon decisions and supports companies in enhancing their operational performance.”
Patrick Diemer, chair of BT4Europe, welcomed the shift as“proof that Europe can lead by example” on sustainable transport initiatives.
“By aligning transport emission standards across the Single Market, we not only simplify compliance, we strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and demonstrate that sustainability and economic performance can go hand in hand,” he added.
The EU, alongside the European Commission and European Environment Agency, plans to establishtwo free public databases for emissions data, with transport operators having access to a free calculation tool to support “ease of apply”. Certified external tools will also be allowed to encourage innovation.
The CountEmissionsEU regulation will be a voluntary system and will apply to companies that choose to publish emissions from their activities.
“This maintains a proportionate approach and ensures that all public figures are comparable and trustworthy,” added the European Commission in a statement.
Angela Lille, who leads BT4Europe’s sustainability working group, added: “CountEmissionsEU goes beyond a calculation method – it sets the essential foundation for transparent and comparable GHG (greenhoapply gas) emissions across transport modes.
“By adopting a globally aligned ISO standard, it simplifies complexity, enhances European competitiveness, and enables seamless interoperability with corporate sustainability and regulatory reporting requirements – a true game modifyr for the travel industest.”
Following the political agreement on CountEmissionsEU, the European Parliament and the Council will now formally adopt the regulation before it comes into force, with its provisions being implemented 48 months after this date.
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