The Biden-Harris Administration and The Environmental Protection Agency Announced A New Clean Cars Rule
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a final Clean Cars Rule which will cut tailpipe pollution, save lives, and accelerate progress toward addressing the climate crisis.
Last week, “the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced final national pollution standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond. These standards will avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society, including $13 billion of annual public health benefits due to improved air quality, and $62 billion in reduced annual fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers. The final standards deliver on the significant pollution reductions outlined in the proposed rule, while accelerating the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies. EPA is finalizing this rule as sales of clean vehicles, including plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles, hit record highs last year.”
Reactions From Environmental Groups
Environmental groups swiftly praised the action. “We applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for finalizing cleaner cars rules that advance climate, jobs, and justice. The final rule will slash billions of tons of climate pollution and protect the health of families across the country — particularly those in communities living near busy roads and highways,” said League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Government Affairs Advocate for Climate & Clean Energy Darien Davis. “This rule, in combination with the DOE’s Petroleum Equivalency Factor and the hundreds of billions of dollars the Biden-Harris administration has delivered in their affordable clean energy plan, will help to supercharge low and zero-emission vehicle innovation and manufacturing across the country — boosting good family-sustaining jobs and decreasing tailpipe pollution.”
In its own news release, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) also said the new rule will “deliver major carbon reductions, save drivers money on fuel and maintenance, and reduce asthma attacks, heart disease, and other illnesses.”
NRDC president Manish Bapna commented, “This is where the rubber meets the road on climate. These common sense standards will slash the source of a fifth of the nation’s carbon footprint. Over time, these rules will prevent more carbon pollution than the entire U.S. economy coughs up in a year. They’ll save drivers money at the pump and cut tailpipe pollution that endangers public health. In the longer journey to confront the climate crisis, these standards take us in the right direction. They signal a commitment to stay the course, build on gathering momentum and see the mission through to its finish. That’s what confronting the climate crisis demands.”
