The Challenge

Demand for road freight is expected to triple by 2050, while the sector must almost entirely decarbonize in the same timeframe, to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. Given the fragmented market, asset lifecycles and massive infrastructure adaptation needed, urgent action is required now, to ensure the transition pathways may accelerate during the 2030s.

The Opportunity

Coordinated action at the leadership level can accelerate the pace of solution roadmaps and scale. Convening CEO Champions of First-Movers across the value chain, Road Freight Zero is curated as a multi-stakeholder coalition of the willing and able, designed to advance the deployment of zero emission fleets and infrastructure by 2030.

Road Freight Zero is a coalition under the leadership of the Forum’s Mobility Platform, and as part of a high-profile multi-year Forum initiative: “Mission Possible”. In addition, the coalition will include knowledge partners e.g. Material Economics, and create synergies with other key initiatives such as the European Clean Trucking Alliance, collaborating closely with the ECF, T&E, RAP, ICCT and others.

Workstreams and Action Pathways

To fast-track zero emission fleets and infrastructure by 2030, Road Freight Zero will focus on three interconnecting pathways:

Pathway 1 - Clear joint articulations for a target action program/roadmap, from value-chain leaders on addressing barriers:

• CEO level to commitment to net-zero transition for freight trucking, with ambitious 2030 waypoints and detailed expression of policy barriers, plus financing and technology acceleration frameworks


• The conclusions will be communicated in various forms, including a briefing document and short roadmap for WEF Annual Meeting 2021 and COP26.

Pathway 2 - A set of de-risking initiatives

• De-risking initiatives for fleet owner investments, long-haul infrastructure and end-to-end European corridors will be modelled and demonstrated, with the objective to create a suite of financial, policy and business case learnings and solutions for future scaling.

Pathway 3 - Transition finance framework

• Aligning closely with the Forums `Financing the Transition to a Net Zero Future Working Group`, a series of deep dive workshops will bring the relevant finance players closer to the challenges faced by this value chain, in order to co-develop action plans for scaling up transition finance mechanisms and new lending and investment products, for large and small players across the value chain.

Contact

For more information about Road Freight Zero including how to join us please contact:

Thibault Villien De Gabiole

Lead, Industry Decarbonization, Trucking

Email: thibault.villiendegabiole@weforum.org