Abstract:

Among transportation subsectors, on-road diesel vehicles are the leading contributor to air pollution and associated disease burdens. Within that group, heavy-duty vehicles are the main contributor to exhaust emissions, accounting for 86% of on-road diesel nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in 2015. Besides the impact on air quality and public health, black carbon from diesel engine exhaust severely affects the climate as the particles produce significant near-term climate warming. A new ICCT paper quantifies the health and climate benefits of key policies for reducing air pollutant emissions from heavy-duty vehicles the in G20 economies.Specifically, the paper analyzes the benefits under four scenarios: currently adopted policies, expanded adoption of Euro VI-equivalent standards, adoption of potential next-generation emission standards, and accelerated fleet renewal programs.