It might seem that the government of Ukraine has more urgent matters to worry about at the moment than promoting EVs. However, the war has provided the most powerful reminder imaginable of the importance of phasing out fossil fuels. Furthermore, Ukraine is one of the largest markets for trucks in Europe. So in fact, it’s quite logical that, during COP27, Ukraine signed a Global Memorandum of Understanding regarding the electrification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

The signatory countries (26 at last count, including the US) aim to phase out sales of fossil-fueled medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040, and to eliminate carbon emissions from these vehicle classes by 2050. It’s a non-binding agreement, but it does include an interim target of making 30% of new truck sales zero-emission by 2030, and there is an action plan that includes recommendations for action to help signatory countries reach their targets.

“Ukraine is going through difficult times,” said Oleksandr Kubrakov, Ukraine’s Minister of Infrastructure. “But we are confident in our victory, and we understand its importance for the entire civilized world. That is why we are ready to sign agreements related to the future. Our country fully understands and supports important decisions to preserve the planet’s ecology.”

Local EV advocacy association Avere Ukraine provided the impetus for the country to join the Global MOU.

“Now our country has perhaps the strongest motivation in the world to never again depend on imported fossil fuels, which have already brought so much trouble to Ukraine and the world,” said Avere Ukraine President Denys Radiuk. “The partnership under this memorandum accelerates investments in infrastructure according to the principle of ‘Build Back Better,’ renewal of the transport fleet, flexibility in the choice of energy sources, for the continuity of critical logistics functions in case of fuel disruptions, and, most importantly, in the total transition to the use of our own local energy with zero CO₂ emissions and environmental damage.”

Source: Avere