California is leading the way to a zero-emission world, or at least the plan that they will have put into effect on Thursday is headed in that direction. The sweeping plan to prohibit the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035, is a groundbreaking move that could be a game changer on the effort to fight climate change and accelerate a global transition toward electric vehicles.
The rule, issued by the California Air Resources Board, will require that 100 percent of all new cars sold in the state by 2035 be free of the fossil fuel emissions chiefly responsible for warming the planet, up from 12 percent today. It sets interim targets requiring that 35 percent of new passenger vehicles sold in the state by 2026 produce zero emissions. That would climb to 68 percent by 2030.
The restrictions are particularly important because California is the largest auto market in the United States. Even more so because there are more than a dozen other states that typically follow California’s lead when setting their own auto emissions standards. “The climate crisis is solvable if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to stem the tide of carbon pollution,” Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said in a statement.
This is the second action in the past week that is of major import in managing climate change. On Tuesday August 16, President Biden signed a long-awaited bill meant to reduce health costs, raise taxes on corporations and wealthy investors, and more importantly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill, which Democrats named the Inflation Reduction Act, invests $370 billion in spending and tax credits in low-emission forms of energy to fight climate change.
Experts said the new California rule could stand alongside the Washington law, and could help make another significant reduction in the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide. The new rule is also expected to influence new policies in Washington and around the world to promote electric vehicles and cut auto pollution.
