Press Release

JCLP urges the Japanese government to accelerate
the transition to zero emissions commercial vehicles
Tokyo, Japan, May 13 2022 – Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnerships (JCLP), a coalition of 211 companies
committed to climate action, has released “Statement on the Transition to Zero Emission CommercialVehicles”. The statement was submitted to the relevant ministries of Japan.
JCLP welcomes the release of the revised growth strategy last year, which includes a new target forcommercial vehicles and additional measures to increase EV uptake, as well as the commitments byJapanese automotive makers to set or increase their ZEV sales targets.
However, the ZEV transition is rapidly accelerating globally, and Japan is in urgent need to ramp up itsefforts. In the statement, JCLP suggests as follows.
Accelerating the shift of commercial vehicles to ZEVs: Why does it matter?
1. Commercial vehicles are one of the primary sources of Japan’s carbon emissions. Shift to zero
emission vehicles, therefore, is critical for Japan to unfailingly meet its emissions reduction targetand overcome the climate crisis.
2. Falling behind the globally booming ZEV transition will have serious implications for thecompetitiveness of the Japanese automotive industry and the national economy as a whole.
3. With the increase of companies looking to decarbonize their entire supply chains, the demand for
ZEVs is growing.
Statement on accelerating the transition to commercial ZEVs:
1. We call for more ambitious numerical targets for Japan to spearhead the global ZEV transition.
Japan’s targets are far from the global standard, as they include hybrids, which are notinternationally recognized as ZEVs. Also, there is no target for electrification of heavy-duty vehicles(8t or above). We call on the government to review and update Japan’s ZEV targets to exclude
hybrids and to set one for heavy-duty vehicles.
2. Robust government support is urgently needed for the development and rollout of ZEVs andcharging infrastructure.
To achieve the ambitious targets, public assistance for the development of vehicles and charging
infrastructure will be critical. Assistance for the rollout of charging stations and incentives for ZEV
uptake in the early phase of market deployment will also be vital for further expanding the marketand driving down prices.
3. Policy and regulatory frameworks should be flexible in order to allow for new business models
and effective energy management.
We urge the government to create an enabling environment for new business models, such asbattery swapping for EVs, with flexible policy and regulatory frameworks.
Download the full statement here.
＊＊＊1Note to editors:
About Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP):
JCLP is a coalition of businesses in Japan (211 companies as of May 2022) that aim to create a carbon neutralsociety, built on the idea that decarbonization is essential to economic development. The group’s total sales
are 121 trillion JPY (936 billion USD) and electricity demand together amounts to approx. 60.25 TWh.
It was set up in 2009 to encourage the business sector to develop a sound sense of urgency on climate
action. Since April 2017, JCLP has been the Climate Group’s Regional Delivery Partner on RE100, EP100 andEV100 initiatives in Japan.
For further information and inquiries:
Tel: 046-855-3814 Email : info-jclp@iges.or.jp
URL: http://www.japan-clp.jp/2