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Members of the bipartisan United States Climate Alliance today issued the following statement announcing an effort to work together to support a strong national standard through the “Nation’s Clean Car Promise”:
“We, the undersigned 24 governors — a bipartisan coalition representing 52 percent of the U.S. population and 57 percent of the economy — stand together in calling for one strong, national clean car standard and support preserving state authority to protect our residents from vehicle pollution. Strong vehicle standards protect our communities from unnecessary air pollution and fuel costs, and they address the largest source of carbon pollution in the United States.
We commit to continue working together to support a strong national standard and issue the “Nation’s Clean Car Promise.”
Climate change is one of the foundational challenges of our time, and to truly address it, America needs cleaner and more efficient transportation solutions. Countries around the world already are stepping up to meet this challenge. The United States has been a clean car leader and must continue to lead in both policy and innovation.
We must unite to ensure a strong, science-based national standard, in California and across the country, that increases year-over-year, provides certainty for automakers and consumers, reduces greenhouse gases, and protects public health.
We call for a common-sense approach that protects the role of states at the negotiating table and establishes a strong, national standard that:
Implementing one strong, national standard as outlined in the Nation’s Clean Car Promise is in the best interest of states, automakers and consumers. It also shows the world that America is a leader on transportation and environmental protection. We will not compromise on our responsibility to protect the health of our communities, our climate, and the savings consumers stand to gain at the pump. We will continue to pursue additional concrete actions to fulfill this duty and defend against any threats.”
Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the previous administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% by 2025, 50-52% by 2030, and 61-66% by 2035, all below 2005 levels, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories continue to demonstrate that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth, job creation, and better public health. The Alliance reduced its collective net greenhouse gas emissions by 19% between 2005 and 2022, while increasing collective GDP by 30%, and is on track to meet its near-term climate goal by reducing collective GHG emissions 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country.
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