Clean Transportation
Clean Transportation
Revolutionizing our transportation systems is a crucial piece of Sierra Club's work to ensure we all can live in healthy communities, move around safely, and build a future powered by renewable energy.
What is clean transportation?
Cleaning up our transportation sector means giving everyone the opportunity to get around in the way that works best for them and the planet. Together, we can tackle the climate crisis and protect the air we breathe by shifting to pollution-free electric vehicles, increasing accessible and affordable public transit, and making our communities safer for walking and biking.
Over the lifetime of the vehicle, a gas car puts out 4.5x more carbon pollution and infinitely more toxic tailpipe air pollution than an electric car.
Why is clean transportation essential?
We all want to breathe clean air and protect our families from toxic pollution and climate change. Unfortunately, transportation is currently our nation's largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and a major source of air pollution. To build a livable future, we must shift away from combustion vehicles and towards clean transportation.
$5B
61,000
public EV charging stations in the US
The transition to electric vehicles will not happen if people cannot reliably and conveniently charge their vehicles at affordable costs
The Clean Transportation for All (CTFA) campaign is at the forefront of advocating for EV-related utility policies that accelerate the EV transition and deliver on the promises of the clean energy economy: lower overall energy bills, more jobs, and cleaner air and water. Read more.
Victory!
Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act -- the largest clean energy and climate legislation in history -- and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, cities and towns across the United States are getting funding to invest in clean transportation, including building more electric vehicle charging stations, transitioning public transit buses and school buses to zero-emission, and more.
What We Are Doing
Sierra Club North Star chapter with partners at a Minnesota House Hearing pushing for transit equity.
The Sierra Club is working across the country to make clean transportation options a reality. We're advocating for policies like clean car standards that have been passed in 13 states plus Washington, DC to cut pollution from our communities. And we're holding automakers accountable for offering more and affordable electric vehicles.
Going electric is just the start. In the shift to EVs, we should not replicate harmful practices in the mining industry. We're pushing automakers to respect human rights and radically transform their supply chains to be equitable, sustainable, and 100% fossil free.
We're also reducing our car dependence by advocating for reliable public transit, safe infrastructure for walking and biking, and more housing near where people work, learn, and play. This means urging local transit fleets to shift to electric buses. Cities like New York City, Washington, DC, and Albuquerque and many others are already leading the way!
Together, we can re-envision how we move around in a way that works for people and the planet.
What You Can Do
Support Greener & Healthier School Buses
Since opening in 2022, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $3 billion for 8,500 new buses at over 1,000 school districts. However, only one US city has transitioned their bus fleet to be fully electric. It's time to speed things up – our children's health and climate action can't wait.
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