On Earth Week it’s important to remember that there is no Plan B for our planet (as much as I love sci-fi), and that we are running out of time. The future of our transportation systems needs to be zero emissions, and there should be no compromise.

This past month the Traton Group, one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers including MAN, Scania and in the process of acquiring Navistar in North America, announced a clear focus on electric drive technologies and equivalent disinvestment in internal combustion engines.

In order to enable carbon neutrality by 2050, major European truck manufacturers including Scania, Daimler, Volvo, MAN, DAF, and CNH, under the umbrella of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), for the first time announced that all new commercial vehicles must be fossil free by 2040.

Brighter days lie ahead in the United States with a new federal administration that prioritizes not only the health of their citizens but also climate change and a speedy economic recovery with investments in zero-emission vehicles. We’ll be working with the new administration to support a complete package of regulations and incentives to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission commercial vehicles (ZECVs) and much stronger ZECV commitments ahead of COP-26 later this year.

The world-changing events of 2020 – a COVID-19 pandemic, a growing movement for racial equity and social justice, an unprecedented series of climate-driven natural disasters, and a boom in e-commerce and city deliveries – underscored the importance of our efforts to improve air quality, reduce climate impacts, and support clean technology and jobs. Against all of these challenges, we were reminded of the urgent need to transition to a zero-emission commercial transportation future.