More carmakers agree on CO2 reduction with CARB
The Californian environmental authority CARB has now concluded five individual agreements with car manufacturers for voluntary CO2 reduction in the US state. The emission target supersedes the levels promoted by the Trump administration.
The US federal government is sticking to its plan to freeze emissions standards at today’s levels until 2026, but California and other states have been pushing their right to set their own levels since summer 2019.
Now CARB has reached agreements with BMW of North America (incl. Rolls Royce), Ford, Honda, Volkswagen Group of America (incl. VW and Audi) and Volvo based on the framework agreement concluded last year. Overall, the deal gives carmakers an extra year to reach Obama-era greenhouse gas emissions targets. Still, this means that yearly requirements to cut CO2 will drop from roughly 4.7 per cent per year to about 3.7 per cent.
“By setting these long-term, predictable, and achievable standards, we have the regulatory certainty that is necessary for long-term planning that will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but ultimately benefit consumers as well,” Phil DiIanni, a spokesperson for BMW Group, said in an email.
As is well known, the US government wanted to deprive California of the right to establish the stricter environmental rules and regulations. California and 22 other states had taken the administration to court over the attempt to deny the state’s own regulation.
Since then, 13 states have come forward to adopt tighter emissions standards and to defy the new laxer laws brought in by the Trump administration as reported. Together these states account for more than 40% of US vehicle sales. These states that had previously adopted California’s standards for cleaner vehicles have notified every automaker participating in the California Framework Agreement in writing that they too will support the agreements.
Other carmakers however including General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Toyota had closed ranks with the Trump administration last October to follow the weakened CO2 regulation.
0 Comments