Sierra Club Statement on Coverage of EPA Vehicle Pollution Standards

News coverage over the weekend reported that the EPA is considering a weakened rule as the agency prepares to release one of its most significant rules to slash climate-disrupting emissions, tightening emission standards for cars across the country.

The rule remains under interagency review and is expected to be finalized this spring.

The EPA’s clean car standards are expected to lead to clean, electric cars making up as much as 67 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in the country by 2032. The rule represents the next step in the environmental agency’s decades-long arc of safeguards to cut vehicle pollution.

A weaker final rule than the EPA’s proposal would give leniency to automakers and could allow them to wait until after 2030 to produce cleaner cars that help deliver health benefits.

According to the EPA’s own analysis, the transportation sector accounts for 29 percent of greenhouse gas emissions—more than any other sector in the US—and is the fastest growing emitter of GHG emissions.

In response to the coverage, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:

“Strong EPA vehicle standards are essential to protecting clean air for communities across the country. Lobbying by auto manufacturers to stall the transition to electric vehicles could have severe consequences: Millions of Americans breathing deadly car pollution, suffering from the impacts of climate change, and spending too much on volatile gas prices.

"Enough excuses from the auto industry. Automakers have had more than enough time to prepare for the EV transition, and funding from the Inflation Reduction Act is rolling out the infrastructure necessary to support it. We can and must have union-made clean vehicles. We urge the EPA to remain steadfast in finalizing a strong rule that will improve public health and protect our future.”