Contact:
Sasha Tenenbaum, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org, 917-887-0146
Washington, DC — Today, President Biden will announce a plan to dramatically reduce tailpipe pollution from cars and trucks. Biden’s plan includes an Executive Order, agreements from the nation’s leading automakers, and an EPA proposal to adopt a new generation of pollution limits for new cars, trucks and SUVs. Those limits will ensure at least half of new passenger vehicles sold in the U.S. are zero-emitting by 2030. EPA will also announce a timeline for cleaning up the significant pollution from new freight trucks and buses.
In response to today’s announcement, Molly Rauch, Public Health Policy Director of Moms Clean Air Force, made the following statement:
“Women buy 62 percent of all new cars sold in the U.S. and influence more than 85 percent of all car purchases. So when moms are pleased with progress in the auto industry, it really matters. Today’s announcement gives us a strong turn signal –the US is going to protect children from dangerous pollution from the transportation sector. We are shifting into the passing lane. Now it’s time to get into high gear, and speed into 21st century technology and U.S.-made vehicles that get us to climate safety. We cannot get there fast enough.
“EPA’s announcement on clean car standards seeks to repair years of backsliding from the auto industry on climate pollution. We have lost precious time due to the harmful rollbacks during the Trump administration, and we must act with urgency in addressing those rollbacks and accelerating to zero emitting vehicles.
We need strong, long-term standards that achieve 100 percent zero-emission passenger vehicle sales by no later than 2035, and 100 percent zero-emission freight truck sales by no later than 2040.
“In communities around the world and here at home, millions are suffering from the devastating impacts of climate change, right now. Climate heat, climate fires, and climate floods are hurting our loved ones. We must act now on the climate crisis. That’s why we will raise our voices as parents to make sure that this long-term vision becomes a reality. Our children deserve nothing less.”