Used Heavy- Duty Vehicles and the Environment: A Global Overview of Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale and Regulation

United Nations 2 years ago

This Used Heavy- Duty Vehicles and the Environment: A Global Overview of Used Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Flow, Scale and Regulation report analyses the flow and scale of used heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) from three major used HDVs exporters – Japan, the European Union (EU) and Republic of Korea (ROK). It also reviews the regulatory environment for used HDVs import in 146 countries, 122 of which are low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). The major exporters of HDVs (used & new) are the EU, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), Mexico, the US, and China. However, while China manufactures 67% of global HDVs, its share of used HDV exports was only 8% in 2020. This is changing rapidly as the policy to expand used vehicles exports is being implemented and from 2022 more than 30 cities in China have been approved to export used vehicles globally. The EU on the other hand exported about 46% of used HDVs (2020) while contributing to about 6% of global HDVs manufacturing. Thus, while the worldwide HDV manufacturing market shifted from Western Europe and North America to emerging economies in the last two decades, used HDVs exporters are primarily high-income economies.
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layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 5 hours ago



The global shift toward sustainable construction is moving from ambition to measurable accountability, driven by a growing emphasis on whole life carbon and embodied carbon performance. Major investors and insurers now assess environmental sustainability in construction as a core determinant of asset resilience and long-term financial stability. Across global cities, risk mitigation extends beyond climate adaptation to the life cycle cost and durability of infrastructure, where sustainable building design functions as both financial strategy and environmental safeguard.

As policymakers adjust emissions targets, industry attention is intensifying on whole life carbon assessment and lifecycle assessment to guide investment in low carbon construction materials and renewable building materials. The EU’s reconsideration of its carbon timeline highlights the tension between decarbonisation and market competitiveness, while the UN’s tighter carbon-market regulations signal a decisive move toward trustworthy carbon footprint of construction metrics and credible embodied carbon in materials verification through environmental product declarations (EPDs).

Innovations in eco-design for buildings, green infrastructure, and circular construction strategies are demonstrating how urban projects can deliver net zero carbon buildings that align community resilience with circular economy principles. Adaptive modular retrofits and flood-resilient landscapes exemplify sustainable building practices that integrate carbon neutral construction into everyday policy and procurement.

The maturing of sustainable design reveals that resource efficiency in construction, life cycle thinking in construction, and building lifecycle performance are now directly tied to market value. Designers and developers are embedding low carbon design and BREEAM v7 certification within sustainable material specification to ensure net zero whole life carbon outcomes. The convergence of equity, profitability, and decarbonising the built environment defines the next phase of green construction, where constructing for the next century has become both imperative and opportunity.

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