Our history
Responding to the Dieselgate scandal and its far-reaching implications, the TRUE Initiative was formed as an independent initiative to analyze real-world emissions data. We have since partnered with more than 20 cities in 6 regions around the world, and through our on-the-ground testing campaigns, collected over 4 million measurements.
March
2017
The TRUE Initiative is launched with London and Paris as pilot cities
June
2018
TRUE European Rating system is launched and the first TRUE Global Symposium at Bloomberg and London’s City Hall, welcoming delegates from across the world to join environmental and technical leaders to discuss how to tackle toxic emissions in cities.
December
2018
TRUE hosts the first EU Cities Symposium, bringing over 35 stakeholders from government agencies, NGOs, research institutes, and philanthropies.
TRUE releases its first comprehensive analysis report for a city, “Remote sensing of motor vehicle emissions in London”
April
2019
TRUE Initiative data used to support the Mayor of London’s Clean Car Checker, helping Londoners make informed and healthier choices when purchasing personal vehicles.
October
2020
Using data from Virginia and Colorado, TRUE develops a United States real-world vehicle emissions database
TRUE expands to Eastern Europe with a remote sensing campaign in Warsaw, Poland
January
2021
TRUE expands to Asia, kicking off its first remote sensing campaign in Jakarta, Indonesia
November
2021
A new partnership with Transport Scotland analyzes the largest collection of real-world emissions data in Europe; research continues today
December
2021
TRUE publishes ‘Counting on clean air – a call to action’, a new report charting the work of the Initiative and gathering the key elements that can help every city achieve safe, clean air for all its citizens.
April
2022
New analysis exposes the disproportionate and inequitable impacts of diesel truck emissions
in New York City
TRUE expands to Latin America, conducting a remote sensing campaign in Mexico City
January
2023
Warsaw, Poland announces plans for a low-emission zone, supported by TRUE data
TRUE expands to India with real-world testing in Delhi and Gurugram
March
2023
TRUE data supports revelation that 13 million vehicles on Europe’s roads are likely deploying cheat emissions device
December
2023
TRUE expands to the Middle East, partnering with the emirate of Abu Dhabi to collect and analyze real-world emissions data
June
2024
TRUE expands to Brazil, kicking off a remote sensing testing campaign in São Paulo
July
2024
TRUE expands to Africa, conducting the first-ever remote sensing campaign on the continent in Kampala, Uganda
March
2025
New analysis shows the impact of future delays to the Brussels low-emission zone, supported by TRUE data
May
2025
TRUE expands to Canada, analyzing emissions of the heavy-duty fleet across the Alberta province
July
2025
First-ever roadside remote sensing campaign on the African continent launched by the TRUE Initiative in Johannesburg, South Africa