Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC -- After having worked with Donald Trump and his administration for more than a year to rollback the clean car standards, Ford and other automakers’ trade group, the Auto Alliance, is seeking to spin its efforts in the face of intense public opposition. Yesterday, the head of the Auto Alliance, Mitch Bainwol, told Congress that Ford and others are supportive of “standards that increase year over year that also are consistent with marketplace realities.” This remains a stark shift from when many automakers executives stood with President Obama when he announced the clean car standards in 2011, and does not speak to the fact that they still support weakening the standards.
Yesterday, the Sierra Club and partners delivered more than a quarter million comments to Ford, demanding they support the clean car standards.
In response, Sierra Club Deputy Director for Clean Transportation Andrew Linhardt released the following statement:
“Ford and their co-conspirators can spin and re-label their efforts all they’d like, but the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of Americans -- not to mention science -- demand that we keep the clean car standards in place. Ford and the auto industry should stop their games and be honest with the American people.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 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.