California’s Zero Emissions Vehicles Standard a Step Forward for Climate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) voted today to phase out all sales of new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs that emit greenhouse gasses by 2035. The new policy will make California’s a leader in pushing toward zero emission cars.
East Peterson-Trujillo, clean vehicles campaigner at Public Citizen, issued the following statement:
“Reliance on cars and trucks that burn fossil fuels and emit greenhouse gasses endangers our health and contributes to ever more frequent climate disasters. The board’s updated Advanced Clean Car Standards take critical steps to zero out carbon emissions from passenger vehicles, and protect our health along the way. And the standards are readily achievable for an automobile industry already moving toward zero-emission vehicles to satisfy consumer demand.
“California’s leadership in setting strong standards is critical. Other states can now adopt these standards to protect their citizens from dangerous pollution. States, including California, must also ensure that all communities have access to electric vehicles, especially those suffering most from high gas prices, climate impacts, and air pollution.
“Vehicle manufacturers should treat these standards as a minimum commitment to pollution reduction. We encourage all manufacturers to produce only zero-emission vehicles by 2030.”