Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – On the United Nations’ Climate Conference of the Parties (COP28) Transportation Day, December 6, the Sierra Club is calling on the Biden administration to adopt strong clean vehicle standards to advance the U.S. away from polluting cars, trucks, and buses.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on two sets of rules that, together, would significantly cut pollution from the cars, trucks, and buses on U.S. roads. These safeguards would tackle the nation’s largest source of climate-disrupting pollution: transportation, and greatly improve air quality and the lung health of American families, reducing the particulate matter and ozone-forming chemicals that spew from fossil fuel vehicles.
The strongest versions of these rules can help the U.S. avoid 9.9 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055. For comparison, that’s equivalent to emissions from 88 coal plants operating over 30 years. The rules will also help clean up our air, resulting in reductions of 16,650 tons of PM2.5 and 143,000 tons of NOx emissions in 2055, compared to if the rules weren't in place. Overall, the EPA estimates that the strongest versions of these rules could result in $1.25 to $2.12 trillion in economic benefits.
Sierra Club experts are available on the ground in Dubai for media interviews.
On COP’s Transportation Day, Sierra Club Managing Director Eva Hernandez released the following statement:
“The Biden Administration has the opportunity and mandate to take the higher road, free of pollution from vehicles that run on fossil fuels. The EPA rules have received massive public support, with advocates pushing for the strongest standards possible.
“We need the EPA to listen to communities, not vested interests like Big Oil and vehicle manufacturers, and swiftly finalize strong standards for cars, buses, and trucks. Delivering these rules is not only essential to the U.S. meeting its global climate commitments - they are safeguards against the toxic air pollution that fossil fuel vehicles spew in communities across the nation.
“As countries discuss their strategies on COP’s Transportation day, the U.S. has a major lever it can pull to move us in the right direction. President Biden and his administration must act.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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.