Press Release

March 20, 2024

EPA’s Clean Car Standards Moves Transportation Sector in Right Direction

“We need strong actions to protect the climate and avert the worst-case scientific assessments”

---

Statement by Ann Mesnikoff
Federal Legislative Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center

“The Environmental Law & Policy Center welcomes the Biden administration’s new climate and air pollution standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles as an essential step toward slashing the emissions driving the climate crisis and harming public health.

“We are already seeing the impacts of a changing climate across the Great Lakes region and air pollution from transportation continues to impact communities. These new standards for light and medium-duty vehicles for model years 2027 to 2032 continue to move us toward pollution-free vehicles, from cars to SUVs to pickups and delivery vans. EPA’s new strong standards will ensure new car buyers in those years will have increasingly cleaner choices that will also save them money, cut demand for oil, and lead to a safer climate and cleaner air for communities.

“We need strong actions to protect the climate and avert the worst-case scientific assessments. Climate simply cannot wait. We appreciate the importance of these standards given that transportation is the largest source of climate pollution, however, we must also take a bolder approach to reducing pollution from transportation through robust investments in passenger rail and public transit, and safe biking and walking.

“We also look forward to EPA issuing strong greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty trucks and power plants. These rules, along with new standards for methane pollution from the oil and gas industry, will together help deliver important climate action.”