Freight road transport is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Latvia, and in the absence of a clear strategy, there is a risk of losing competitiveness and failing to achieve the state's emission reduction targets, writes Dienas Bizness.
Such conclusions were made at a seminar where participants discussed the necessary changes in the field of freight and municipal transport in the context of decarbonization.
According to the Ministry of Transport, in 2025 there were just over 100,000 trucks and 4,737 licensed freight carriers in Latvia, of which 26% conducted domestic transport and 74% international transport. 96,342 trucks operate on diesel fuel, 2,288 trucks use gasoline, 1,031 use liquefied natural gas, 314 use compressed natural gas, and 291 operate on electricity.
Thus, the share of zero-emission trucks is only 0.29% of the total freight transport in Latvia. Road transport accounts for 97.4% of all transport emissions, while rail transport accounts for 2.4%.
As experts point out, the decarbonization of freight transport in Latvia is not a distant future but an urgent necessity, and to avoid losing advantages in the Baltic and European markets, it is vital to implement a clear, predictable, and sustainable system of government support that allows businesses to plan long-term investments and transition to a modern fleet of trucks.
The Ministry of Transport conducted a study in which three scenarios were modeled - minimal (self-regulation of the market and gradual transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles), optimal, and maximum (tax incentives, subsidies, bans and restrictions, development of rail freight transport). Possible tax incentives include a differentiated vehicle operation tax based on emission levels, benefits for low-emission and zero-emission trucks, subsidies for vehicle purchases, and support for developing infrastructure for alternative fuels. In turn, restrictive measures include the introduction of low or zero emission zones in city centers.
