Working Party on Pollution and Energy - Introduction

The Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) is the subsidiary body of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) that prepares regulatory proposals on pollution and energy efficiency to WP.29.  This group of experts conducts research and analysis to develop emission and energy requirements for vehicles.

Examples of the deliveries of GRPE:
UN GTR on Laboratory Measurement of Brake Emissions for Light-Duty Vehicles, a globally harmonized procedure to measure brake emissions under standardized conditions
UN Regulations Nos. 83 and 154 are containing the techical provisions for the pollutant emissions standards up to Euro 6 for cars.
UN Regulation No. 49 is containing the techical provisions for the pollutant emissions standards up to EURO VI for trucks and busses.
UN Regulations Nos. 101 and 154  are containing the technical provisions for the measurement of the fuel economy and the CO2 emissions for cars.

GRPE convenes officially twice a year and entrusts informal groups with specific problems that need to be solved urgently or that require special expertise.  More than 150 experts participate at the sessions of GRPE.

The Working Party is open to the governmental experts from any member country of the United Nations, and to any regional economic integration organization set up by member countries of the United Nations, and to experts of governmental organizations. Experts of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may participate in a consultative capacity.  Final decisions are taken by Government representatives by vote at the World Forum WP.29 level.
 
The work of GRPE experts is transparent: All agendas, working documents and reports are openly accessible on this Internet website.

January 2023:
During a very productive 87th session, GRPE adopted proposals for new legal instruments on brake particulate emissions (new UN GTR on Laboratory Measurement of Brake Emissions for Light-Duty Vehicles) and globally harmonized on-road tailpipe emissions measurements (new UN regulation on Global Real Driving Emissions), a request to initiate a new UN GTR on in-vehicle battery durability for electrified heavy-duty vehicles and the definition of emission limits for the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engine for heavy duty vehicles.

Following a workshop held last May and preliminary meetings held last october, GRPE also adopted Terms of Reference for an Informal Working Group on Automotive Life Cycle Assessment (IWG on A-LCA) to start ground breaking activities to determine the carbon footprint of vehicles during their lifetime, from material extraction and production to manufacturing use and disposal of the vehicles. Such Lifecycle Assessments are now common practice in the industry and for financial institutions and investors looking to invest in sustainable industries. Nevertheless, the methodologies to determine cradle-to-grave carbon emissions are diverse, not harmonized, and therefore not comparable. The objective of this new IWG on A-LCA, led by the governments of Japan and the Republic of Korea, is to develop an internationally-harmonised procedure to determine the carbon footprint of different technologies, also considering energy use for energy pathways and automotive types from production to use and disposal, as a resolution under the framework of WP.29.

To make quick progress on this key topic for the future of automotive environmental impact evaluation, GRPE decided to host a special session on LCA in April 2023, and invites all stakeholders, from the policy maker, private sector and civil society, to actively participate in defining key component of the forthcoming UN Resolution on A-LCA.

21 June 2022: UNECE released a circularity mobility podcast, where GRPE activities are featured thanks to the interventions of the GRPE Vice-chair and secretariat. The podcast can be found below and in all your favorite streaming platforms:
https://soundcloud.com/unece/mobility-one-world-zero-waste-the-circular…

May/June 2022: UNECE embraces a new comprehensive approach to carbon footprint of vehicles

Traditionally, the environmental impact of cars was predominantly coming from exhaust tailpipes, where most of the regulator’s attention has been focused in the last decades. With the emergence of zero tailpipe emission vehicles such as battery electric or fuel cell vehicles, the environmental impact now shift towards the creation phases, of the vehicle and of the energy that powers it. Measuring, monitoring and harmonizing ways to quantify the carbon footprint of vehicles over its lifetime has now become essential to have a comprehensive view of the true magnitude of the carbon embedded and emitted from cradle to cradle. Developing robust methodologies to perform such assessment in a coordinated and rigorous manner can not longer be overlooked. GRPE organized a dedicated one day workshop on the carbon Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of vehicles, to share latest information and progress on LCA for vehicles.

Despite the huge challenges, wide range of expertise needed and deep transformation of its operation to be able to look at the whole chain of emissions over the lifetime, the Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) has taken the bold step to make the carbon life cycle analysis a key topic for its future activities, and to create a dedicated group to work on LCA of vehicles to deliver on harmonized procedures on the methodology to level-playing LCA analysis.

As the highest body working on vehicle legislation harmonization of the global level on all topics related to energy and pollution, GRPE is the best place to develop and disseminate harmonized methodologies to capture the full carbon footprint of vehicles.

Tackling vehicle LCA in GRPE has been backed by most major car producing countries, with the support of Japan, Korea, The Russian Federation, Switzerland, The United States, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the European Union, all keen to work together towards common definitions and approaches to determine the carbon footprint of vehicles of today and of tomorrow

Still much remain to be done to deliver on commonly agreed, repeatable, reproducible and irrefutable methodology, but the work starts now and GRPE has embarked on the journey towards the future of mobility environmental impact.

January 2022: Following a proposal from Japan and Korea, GRPE decided to host a workshop on the carbon Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of vehicles during the May/June 2022 session of GRPE. This workshop aims to assemble experts from and outside of GRPE to exchange information on the latest activities with respect to LCA/carbon footprint of vehicles to potentially include it as a priority topic for GRPE in the year(s) to come.

November 2021: GRPE adopted a new UN GTR on in-vehicle battery durability. The new UN GTR sets minimum performance requirements for the energy of batteries installed in light duty vehicles (PHEVs and BEVs) for the first 8 years or 160.000 km. In order to check compliance it requires that State-of-Health Monitors are installed in all vehicles. A procedure is set to check the accuracy of the monitors and also to monitor the fleet for compliance with the minimum performance requirements. The UN GTR is expected to be adopted by China, Japan, Korea, the US and the EU, among other countries that showed interest in the topic.

January 2021: GRPE hosted a workshop on airborne emissions from brake systems. With the share of particulate emissions from road transport coming from the exhaust is steadily decreasing, non-exhaust emissions from brake, tyre and road wear must now be taken into account; GRPE hold a workshop dedicated to consulting GRPE on the next steps for the finalization of a measurement procedure developed by the Informal Working Group on Particulate Measurement Programme (PMP). The workshop was attended by more than 200 experts. Workshop material  and minutes are available here.

June 2020: GRPE updated provisions on in-vehicle air quality measurement procedure. at its June 2020 session, UNECE Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) has endorsed a new procedure developed by the Informal Working Group on Vehicle Interior Air Quality (VIAQ) now  includes a procedure to measure exhaust gases entering the vehicle’s cabin through ventilation systems.

January 2020: GRPE endorsed stringent new vehicle emissions regulation. at its January 2020 session, UNECE Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) has finalized a new UN regulations on Worldwide Light duty Test Procedure (WLTP). More than half of the cars sold globally are set to use WLTP in the next few years. the new UN Regulation on WLTP will provide uniform provision to perform WLTP tests and ease the certification process for car manufacturers and contracting parties applying the new UN Regualtion.

May 2019: UNECE’s new recommendation on fuel quality will help countries to reduce air pollution. At its 2019 May session, UNECE Working Party on Pollution and Energy (GRPE) has issued new recommendations on fuel quality linked with latest emission control technologies available on cars, vans, trucks and buses.

January 2019: UNECE hosts a workshop on Heavy Duty Fuel Economy (HDFE) standards harmonization. the agenda, presentations and minutes of the side event can be found following the links.

June 2018: UNECE works on global methodology to measure on-road car emissions. At its June 2018 session, members of UNECE’s World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations have decided to develop a harmonized procedure to perform real driving emission testing on open roads.