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California finalized energy efficiency deals with five automakers on Monday in an attempt to undermine the Trump administration’s setback to Obama-era standards.
As part of the deal, BMW, Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and Volvo have agreed to annual improvements in fuel consumption that more closely match those required under the Obama administration compared to less stringent ones that have just been finalized.
The deal represents a major blow to the Trump administration, which revoked the waiver that California relied on to set stricter auto emissions standards which in turn were adopted by more than a dozen ‘other states.
“Instead of propelling our country toward the clean cars of the future, the Trump administration’s inability to lead on this issue has left American workers and automakers behind. As the administration has created a vacuum of leadership, vision and direction, the state of California and the automakers have come together in these voluntary agreements that provide a way forward to support the clean cars of the future ” Tom carper
Thomas (Tom) Richard CarperTrump says he will sign USPS funding if Democrats make concessions Not a pretty picture: Money laundering and the US art market OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump’s lobster proposal du Maine falls flat | White House urged to release documents on projects accelerated due to coronavirus | Trump faces another challenge to rewrite basic environmental law NEPA MORE (D-Del.) Said in a statement, encouraging other automakers to follow suit.
The Trump administration announced in March that it would require automakers to produce a fleet of 40 mpg on average by 2026 instead of the previous requirement under the Obama administration to reach 55 mpg by 2025.
New agreements finalized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) give automakers until 2026 to produce fleets averaging 51 mpg.
Still, some environmental groups hoped California would chart a more ambitious course.
“While this deal is a positive interim step, we need bolder action to keep us from stepping off the carbon cliff,” Katherine Hoff, lawyer at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.
“To meet California’s climate goals and be the role model the world needs, CARB must quickly lead the way in making 100% zero-emission vehicle sales the norm by 2030,” she said. added.
News of California’s efforts to strike a more eco-friendly deal with automakers first broke in July of last year, shortly after the Trump administration revoked the waiver of the state.
California’s estimated 40 million people give it great market influence, which the state has not shied away from using to advance its interests, including in its efforts to fight climate change.
The Obama administration estimated that its energy efficiency standards would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 6 billion tonnes during the program.
The Trump administration’s emissions standards are lower than what automakers have said they can achieve. Its regulations require improvements of 1.5% year over year, while automakers have said they could improve fuel mileage by 2% each year.
Automakers who haven’t signed a deal with California have also shown interest in tackling Trump standards, filing a petition to intervene in a trial by a conservative group who argued that the regulations were too stringent.
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