Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
Mark Kresowik, mark.kresowik@sierraclub.org, 319-621-7393
NORTHEAST & MID-ATLANTIC – Today, after a year of a robust policy design process, the 12 Northeast states and D.C. that are a part of the Transportation and Climate Initiative announced the release of a draft region-wide policy proposal to reduce pollution from the transportation sector and invest in clean transportation solutions. The proposal calls for states to reduce emissions 20-25% by 2032. Dozens of organizations have urged states to reduce emissions at least 45% by 2032.
Sierra Club polling shows that nearly 3 in 4 voters across 11 Northeast states and D.C. support a regional approach to modernizing our transportation sector and reducing pollution by investing in electric vehicles, public transportation and safer communities for walking and biking.
In response to the release of the draft policy proposal, the Sierra Club's Eastern Region Deputy Director Mark Kresowik released the following statement:
"In the face of the Trump Administration’s disastrous attempts to pump the brakes on cleaning up transportation across the nation, we applaud these states for working together on a regional approach to reduce transportation emissions and invest in solutions to move us away from our outdated, dirty, health-harming status quo.
We urge the states to finalize limits that are actually consistent with their climate commitments, and invest in and with communities most over-burdened and under-resourced. A strong final policy that reduces transportation pollution 45% by 2032, a target that a broad set of groups has called for, will be key to helping states meet their climate, health and equity goals.”
Background: TCI is a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia that seeks to improve transportation, reduce climate-disrupting emissions, and invest in transportation solutions accessible to all communities. A broad-based coalition of over 50 organizations support TCI, including the Sierra Club, Green for All, Union of Concerned Scientists, and dozens more.
TCI is modeled after a cap-and-invest program that nine Northeast states implemented for the power sector, known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
The states will gather public input on the draft proposal over the course of the winter and are planning to reach a final agreement in spring 2020.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, 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.