Will Brexit change Euro 6 emissions standards?

Article 50 was triggered on the 29th of March and Britain’s departure from the EU is now guaranteed. And yet the forecast of what lies ahead of Brexit still remains unclear for the economy, environment and indeed the logistics sector.

Euro 6 emissions standards are now compulsory for all new LCV vehicles. Regardless of what Brexit means for the logistics sector in the longer term, from the 1st of September 2016 all UK fleets have had to comply. But are we likely to see a change in policy?

Euro 6 emissions standards

The Euro emission regulations – which are designed to become more stringent over time – define acceptable limits for exhaust emissions of new light duty vehicles sold in EU.

These standards were introduced because, according to the EU, “The air pollutant emissions from transport are a significant contribution to the overall state of air quality in Europe”, with industry and power generation being the other major sources.

The aim of Euro emissions standards is to reduce the levels of harmful exhaust emissions, such as:

• Nitrogen oxide (NOx)
• Carbon monoxide (CO) 
• Hydrocarbons (HC)
• Particulate matter (PM)

Adherence to Euro 6 requires that the limit for particulate matter is reduced by 6% whilst nitrogen oxide is reduced by 80%. Studies into the HGV category have shown that in urban environments, the air leaving the exhaust of Euro VI vehicles is actually cleaner than when it entered the intake!

Post-Brexit?

Brexit appears unlikely to make a difference to UK energy policy - because Britain's own unilateral Climate Change Act actually imposes even tougher requirements than the EU for cutting carbon emissions.

Under the Act, the UK must cut its carbon emissions by 80%  on 1990 levels by 2050.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) sets out the cost-effective course that the UK should follow to hit those targets through what they call "carbon budgets" (a cap on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the UK over a five-year period).

The CCC says that "the proposed UK carbon budget covering the same period (2028-2032) is tighter than our estimate of the UK share of the EU 2030 target".

While targets for air quality would still technically remain in UK law, having been enshrined through Air Quality Standards Regulation, the EU would no longer have a role in enforcement and the UK would be free to repeal the laws.

Therefore, there is a concern that with the  withdrawal from the EU, a lot of momentum around air quality and efforts finally starting to take hold would be lost.

So is Brexit likely to change Euro 6 emission standards? In short, the answer is no. But in the ever-changing landscape of environmental regulations affecting road transport it can be hard for vehicle owners to keep up. Therefore it’s important for businesses and fleets to be aware of regulation changes in order to comply with requirements and make a strategic decision as to whether it is best to hire or buy compliant vehicles in the current market.