Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Tell automakers: Commit to meeting fuel efficiency standards

The petition to BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford , General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda , Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai and Subaru reads:

"Reject the Trump administration's rollback of vehicle emissions standards. Commit to the standards and timeline set by the Obama administration."
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►

Tell automakers: Commit to meeting fuel efficiency standards
We can't fight climate change without changing the cars we drive. The transportation sector is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.1 One of the Obama administration's most important climate accomplishments was passing emissions standards that would force automakers to nearly double fuel efficiency.
Trump administration has proposed a rule that would have the United States burning hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil more each year – releasing millions of metric tons more emissions.2
Even automakers don't like this move,3,4 but no automaker has publicly committed to meeting the original standards. If car companies want to keep claiming they are committed to producing cleaner cars, they must reject Trump's backwards policy and commit to doing what's right.
Tell automakers: Reject the Trump administration's rollback of vehicle emissions standards. Commit to the standards and timeline set by the Obama administration. Click here to sign the petition.
On Aug. 2, Trump's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and EPA jointly released a proposed rule that would roll back Obama's 2012 rule that required automakers to nearly double the fuel economy of passenger vehicles to an average of about 54 miles per gallon by 2025.5 The Trump rule would freeze the standards at 2020 levels through 2026 and stop requirements that automakers build cleaner cars, including hybrids and electric vehicles.The proposed rule also blocks California from setting its own stricter standards, so California is leading a group of 17 states and the District of Columbia in suing over the rule.7




Car companies haven't been cheering Trump's proposal, but they have refused to come out strongly against it. Privately, some have said they liked the Obama rules.8 The major auto industry trade group suggested that Trump's extreme proposal should only be a starting point for negotiations.9 The automakers know the Trump rules will be tied up in court for years, and they already had plans to meet the earlier standards.
Instead of letting Trump set the terms of their climate commitments, car companies should voluntarily commit to the strong standards set by the Obama administration. We cannot afford to freeze our progress on climate change for years to come.
Tell automakers: Reject the Trump administration's rollback of vehicle emissions standards. Commit to the standards and timeline set by the Obama administration. Click the link below to sign the petition:
- Brandy Doyle,CREDO Action
Add your name:
Sign the petition ►
References:
  1. Center for Climate and Energy Solution, "Federal vehicle standards," accessed Aug. 13, 2018.
  2. David Roberts, "Trump is freezing Obama’s fuel economy standards. Here’s what that could do." Vox, Aug. 2, 2018.
  3. Don Gonyea, "Carmakers React To Freezing Of Fuel Efficiency Standards," NPR's All Things Considered, Aug. 4, 2018.
  4. Robinson Meyer, "The Car Industry Squirms, as It Gets What It Asked For," The Atlantic, Aug. 6, 2018.
  5. Coral Davenport, "Trump Administration Unveils Its Plan to Relax Car Pollution Rules," The New York Times, Aug. 2, 2018.
  6. Ibid.
  7. Ibid.
  8. Meyer, "The Car Industry Squirms, as It Gets What It Asked For."
  9. Ibid.

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