How new CO2 rules, public procurement and infrastructure provisions can bring clean, affordable off-road machines to market and establish Europe's industry as a zero-emission leader
Non-road mobile machinery, also known as off-road equipment, encompasses a diverse range of machines that are vital to the functioning of our economy. This sector includes equipment such as excavators, wheel loaders, forklifts, agricultural tractors, household and garden tools, as well as inland waterway vessels and diesel trains.
However, the vast majority of these machines still rely on combustion engines that burn fossil fuels, making them substantial air, noise and climate polluters. Off-road equipment is responsible for 108 Mt CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year, which represents 3.1% of the EU's climate emissions. This is the equivalent of almost 55 million cars driving in Europe, or more than half of what heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) emit every year.
Without legislative action on non-road mobile machinery (NRMM), Europe risks repeating the same mistake it made on cars and trucks by failing to respond swiftly and effectively to the increasing challenge posed by foreign competitors. To avoid losing out to foreign competition, EU policy-makers should introduce CO2 rules for off-road equipment and bring the sector within the scope of the upcoming revision of the EU's public procurement framework and the alternative fuels infrastructure law (AFIR).
