Jonathon Berman, jonathon.berman@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON DC- Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will finalize standards for greenhouse gas emissions from new aircraft that take effect in 2028. The rule copies international standards from 2016 that set a greenhouse gas emissions floor for aircraft flying international routes at levels a decade behind what aircraft could already do in 2016.
Aviation is among the fastest growing sources of climate pollution, yet EPA’s final rule will have no impact at all on greenhouse gas emissions.
A 2015 study showed that existing and cost-effective technologies could reduce emissions by approximately 25% by 2024 and 40% by 2034.
In response to the proposed rule, Sierra Club’s Chief Climate Counsel Joanne Spalding released the following statement:
“As part of a flurry of 11th hour deregulatory actions in its last few days, the Trump administration today finalized a rule that does nothing whatsoever to tackle the increasingly dire climate crisis and instead cements that inaction for years to come. Make no mistake, this rule is not a sudden change of heart from Trump’s EPA: business-as-usual already achieved in 2016 what this rule requires for new airplanes and does not cost industry a penny beyond some meaningless paperwork.
“Airlines have already grabbed tens of billions in pandemic bailout money from taxpayers without making any concessions whatsoever toward reducing their destructive climate impact - which will only increase over the decades to come. The Biden-Harris administration should reverse this free ticket to pollute and set standards that address one of the fastest growing sources of climate pollution.”
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.