In July 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for CountEmissions EU, a harmonised framework for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from transport services in freight and passenger transport. This framework requires all parties in the transport sector that calculate and communicate greenhouse gas emissions from their transport services to use a common calculation methodology and verified input data. These parties are also subject to minimum requirements for the results they will be required to communicate. Large companies must also have their calculations and results verified by certified bodies.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat) has commissioned CE Delft to identify the main impact that CountEmissions EU will have for the Netherlands. This includes the additional administrative burden it imposes on businesses, benefits in the form of fuel savings, benefits from the reduction in traffic accidents and benefits from the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The study shows that for small businesses in the Netherlands, the benefits of introducing CountEmissions EU are expected to far outweigh the costs. In contrast, for large businesses, the costs in the form of the additional administrative burden may be slightly higher than the benefits in the form of fuel savings.