CALSTART is thrilled to announce that Stephanie Kodish is the new Global Director and lead of the Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero program. In this role, Stephanie will advance international strategies to address medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. She looks forward to collaborating with governments and a wide range of stakeholders to meet this new era of energy transition with emphasis on securing just and equitable solutions for cleaner air and a healthy climate.
Stephanie draws on two decades of experience as an environmental and social justice leader. She has spearheaded collaboratives and campaigns resulting in the strengthening and implementation of clean air and climate laws and policies to support healthier communities, restoration of public lands, and a transition toward a clean, just energy economy.
Before joining CALSTART, Stephanie served as Senior Director and Counsel for Clean Air and Climate at National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). At NPCA, she oversaw dynamic programs and advanced strategic initiatives to curb air pollution and mitigate the causes and effects of climate change. Stephanie previously represented communities overburdened by pollution from coal-fired power plants and oil refineries as Counsel for the Environmental Integrity Project. Her experience in international environmental policy includes working with a global environmental investment research advisory group, where she focused on social and environmental costs of the oil and gas industry, and with the World Resources Institute, where she concentrated on systems of legislative representation in support of indigenous community self-determination.
Stephanie holds a Juris Doctor and a master’s degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from The Ohio State University; she is currently licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the District of Columbia. She lives in Knoxville, TN, with her three amazing kids and treasured beau. Stephanie is a lover of nature and believes that together we can heal the world.
Welcome, Stephanie!
— Owen MacDonnell, Technical Project Manager II, CALSTART / Drive to Zero
Program Updates
Updated Policy & Action Online Tools
CALSTART’s Drive to Zero and the Netherlands are supporting leading countries working toward 100 percent zero-emission truck and bus sales by 2040 under the Global Memorandum of Understanding on Zero-Emission Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles(Global MOU). Our newly updated suite of online policy tools defines, catalogs, and categorizes world-leading zero-emission truck and bus policies while tracking their adoption globally. The Policy Primer provides a high-level description of leading policy interventions and is a great place to start for those unfamiliar with the kinds of policies that can be deployed to promote zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (ZE-MHDVs). The Global MOU Progress Dashboard adds an interactive, visual perspective on the policies that have been deployed by Global MOU signatory countries. The Global MOU Policy Matrix provides the greatest level of detail and allows a user to view all policies compiled for a specific country or policy dimension.
Explore these updated policy tools today! Questions? Contact Owen MacDonnell at omacdonnell@calstart.org.
In-Person Convening of Global MOU Country Signatories and Endorsers
The Netherlands and Drive to Zero are hosting the first in-person convening of the Global MOU country signatories and endorsers in Berlin, Germany, on May 22–23. Over these two days, attendees will workshop challenges, discuss opportunities, and network with the aim of accelerating the global transition to ZE-MHDVs. This event is invitation-only, and registration will close no later than May 6. Please reach out to info@globaldrivetozero.orgwith questions.
News Updates
As detailed in our updated suite of policy tools, the importance of combining regulations, financial incentives, infrastructure, and innovative policy solutions to deploy ZE-MHDVs cannot be overstated—and more governments are stepping up to the task. On the heels of the European Commission’s revised CO2 standards for trucks, this month the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled its own new proposed vehicle pollution standards that put the country’s 2030 climate goals within reach; once final, these standards will electrify an estimated 50 percent of new vocational vehicles (such as buses and garbage trucks); 35 percent of new short-haul freight tractors; and 25 percent of new long-haul freight tractors. New examples of financial incentives also grabbed headlines: the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport announced subsidies for 151 all-electric Volta Zero trucks and released €270 million in funding for around 1,000 electric buses. Norway also announced it will subsidize electric construction vehicles, up to 40 percent of the additional costs compared to a conventionally powered machine.
Beyond vehicle price tags, the cost of infrastructure remains one of the most critical barriers to electrification globally, but incentives continue to help close this gap; for instance, IKEA Canada announced the expansion of its electric vehicle charging networkthanks to funds from the Government of Canada. Additional encouraging news comes from an analysis of two New York state utilities that found utilities’ upfront investment for ZE-MHDV charging infrastructure can be more than covered by ongoing electricity sales, meaning utilities can make these investments without negatively impacting ratepayers. Hydrogen-powered vehicles also face challenges to refueling around the world, but partnerships like QUANTRON and Norwegian Hydrogen AS’s recently announced five-year collaboration to promote hydrogen-powered heavy-duty trucks in the Nordic region will help move the needle.
Even with these barriers to deployment, manufacturers continue to ramp up in multiple segments, such as Volta Trucks’ production of their 16-tonne all-electric Volta Zero in Austria and British bus manufacturer ADL’s production expansion to build its new Enviro400EV double-decker model. With transport company Ryder placing an order of 4,000 electric delivery vans for its U.S. rental fleet; PepsiCo expanding its electric truck fleet with Einride to cover more than 1.2 million kilometers in the United Kingdom; and electric bus deployments spanning from the U.S. state of West Virginia to Oslo, Norway—just to highlight a few—demand for ZE-MHDVs shows no signs of slowing.
Advancements in ZE-MHDV policies and actions around the world are helping to bring the Paris climate goals within reach. New infrastructure funding, pollution standards, and vehicle deployments are but a few developments featured here that help put us on a concrete, strategic path to reducing transportation emissions and improving public health globally. Please share new information, potential partners, and innovative practices to achieve our Drive to Zero goals at info@drivetozero.org.Follow us on Twitter @TeamDrivetoZero. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others.
