White House follows California's lead on Clean Cars

Today, in a huge win for California’s environment, public health and energy security, the Obama administration announced new standards for fuel economy and global warming emissions for automobiles.

The new rule is based on California's Clean Cars Law, which the Coalition for Clean Air originally co-sponsored in 2002. Our efforts—and the adoption of the law by 13 other states—have set the bar for the nation and the future of cleaner transportation.

"Cars account for a quarter of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as increased risk of cancer, asthma and other health issues for hundreds of millions of Americans,” said Martin Schlageter, interim executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air. “Californians know this reality all too well, and we’ve paved the way for safer standards for the rest of the country.”

An Environment California analysis found that Californian drivers will save 1.6 billion gallons of gasoline by 2016, saving $4 billion at the pump, while reducing 14 million tons of global warming pollution—the equivalent of removing nearly 3 million cars from the road for a year.

Read the complete press release. (40 Kb PDF)

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