Road transport is the most prioritised area to reduce CO₂ emissions, with companies willing to pay more for transport suppliers with lower CO₂ emissions, a new report has found.

The report, conducted by research company Ipsos on behalf of Volvo Trucks, interviewed 100 large e-commerce and manufacturing companies in eight European countries about their demand for fossil-fuel free transports in future procurements.

Volvo Trucks believe that electrification will be the key driver towards zero emission road transports.

The vast majority of the companies interviewed have set targets to reduce their climate footprint. Of those interviews, 78% say that they are willing to pay more for a transport supplier with little or no CO₂ emissions and 85% are prepared to change transport suppliers if they don’t meet their requirements.

The research also shows a clear connection between their future business opportunities and fossil fuel free transport options. 60% of companies believe they risk losing customers within the next three years if they can’t meet their consumer’s demand for deliveries with little or zero CO₂ emissions.

“It’s very positive to see this big push for fossil free truck transports,” said Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks.

“It means that we will see a massive shift in the industry in the coming years. We believe that electrification will be the key driver towards zero emission road transports and we are proud to already offer fully electric truck alternatives for most assignments,” he said.

“Going electric means more business opportunities.”