Lauren Lantry (202) 548-6599 lauren.lantry@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, an environmental coalition including the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Ecology Center, Electric Auto Association, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Fresh Energy, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, Ceres, the Greenlining Institute, Union of Concerned Scientists, and Conservation Law Foundation submitted recommendations to Volkswagen (VW) on how to most effectively spend a portion of national settlement funds to increase green transportation: the “ZEV Investment Plan.” To help remedy the environmental impact from Volkswagen’s diesel emissions cheating scandal, part of the settlement approved in October requires VW to spend $2 billion on installing zero emission vehicle (ZEV) charging infrastructure across the U.S. and educating the public about the benefits of driving electric. Separate funds are being set aside to compensate duped consumers and to fund state green transportation programs.
In response, Sierra Club Electric Vehicle Initiatives Director Gina Coplon-Newfield released the following statement:
"If done right, VW’s investments in electric vehicle infrastructure and public outreach can begin a new page in VW’s history. Their investments, if made strategically, will accelerate EV adoption across the country, while providing relief to those communities most adversely impacted by the high levels of air pollution that VW’s vehicles--and conventional vehicles generally--have caused.
“We trust that this is the beginning, and not the end, of VW’s engagement with the public, the communities that their vehicles have harmed, and the broader EV industry. Environmental groups look forward to further opportunities to engage with VW, and we welcome a robust process for public engagement going forward. Such a process will help ensure that VW’s investments are strategic and realize the promise EVs hold for our country: cleaner air, healthier communities, stronger economies and reduced reliance on oil.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 2.4 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.