Dear John,

This year thousands of Americans have raised their voice supporting clean vehicle standards that address the climate crisis and protect our communities from harmful air pollution. Hearing the call, President Biden gathered leaders from the Big Three U.S. automakers to make an unprecedented commitment to clean vehicle standards: that 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles.

Now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking the first step toward meeting that goal, by reversing the Trump administration’s weakened standards. EPA is seeking public comments on its proposal to strengthen federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards through 2026 for passenger cars and light trucks, an action that will help eliminate 2.2 billion tons of climate pollution by 2050 and help Americans save thousands of dollars in fuel costs.

But EPA can’t stop here: we need longer term national standards that set us firmly on the path to eliminating tailpipe pollution from all new passenger cars by 2035.

It’s time for greater ambition and national leadership! Submit a comment to the EPA supporting the administration’s revised GHG emissions standards before the September 27th deadline, and urge EPA to move forward swiftly with the next generation of standards.

Together, we will truly transform the transportation sector, meet the climate crisis, and eliminate the health-harming pollution that disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color.

The United States is charting a course for a cleaner, greener future — and it all starts with stronger vehicle emission standards. Ensuring that at least 50% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 are zero-emission, and 100% are zero-emission by 2035, will reap benefits for Americans’ health, the climate, and our pocketbooks:
 

• It would prevent as many as 98,000 premature deaths by 2050 by significantly reducing smog-forming pollution and particulate pollution, which disproportionately burdens people of color.
   
• It would reduce a total of more than 11.5 billion metric tons of carbon pollution by 2050. That’s far more than the carbon emissions from China last year, and China is responsible for more than a quarter of the world’s climate pollution.
   
• It would save a person who purchases a new battery electric vehicle in 2027 $5,300 over the vehicle’s lifetime compared to a gasoline vehicle.
   
• It would provide more than $1.6 trillion in benefits to Americans, including pollution reductions and economic savings. That is about 10% of current U.S. gross domestic product.

This first step has been made possible because you and other EDF members urged our leaders to reverse the damage of the Trump administration. But we must keep the pressure on. Push the Biden administration to go bold and set the ambitious standards America needs to combat the climate crisis. By encouraging the EPA to move forward we can establish nationwide emissions standards that will save consumers money, cut pollution, boost public health, advance environmental justice, and tackle the climate crisis.

Take action: Send a comment to the EPA and help solidify vital emissions standards!

Thank you raising your voice,

Wes Rogerson
Manager, Grassroots Organizing & Activism