On June 25th, 2020, California adopted the first regulation in the world aimed at boosting sales of zero-emission trucks, marking a historic milestone in the history of regulating transportation pollution. More than 130 people signed up to testify at the virtual meeting in the hopes of getting the law passed.
Although only two million of the 30 million registered vehicles in California are trucks, they are the largest source of air pollution from road vehicles. They are solely responsible for over 70% of smog-causing pollution, and 80% of carcinogenic soot in the atmosphere.
The Advanced Clean Trucks Regulation will require truck manufacturers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission trucks in the state starting from the year 2024. The stringency of the requirements is expected to increase every year, with the goal of putting 300,000 electric trucks on Californian roads by 2035 and phasing out diesel trucks by 2045 [Climatewire].
The rule could have significant benefits even if it was adopted in California alone. Heavy-duty trucks are responsible for a third of California’s smog-causing nitrogen oxides (NOx)pollution, and a fifth of its greenhouse gases. According to recent research conducted by the Energy Innovation and Environmental Defence Fund,
…the rule could prevent 17.6 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, and 600,000 tonnes of NOx from entering the atmosphere…
by 2040. The new law is expected to prevent 1000 premature pollution-related annually.
The law could also have socioeconomic benefits. A disproportionate number of low-income neighbourhoods, including those which house Black, Brown, and other vulnerable families, are situated near ports, railyards, and other freight corridors. These experience the heaviest truck traffic and are therefore most affected by the emissions. The new rule addresses the possible health and pollution risks faced by these communities, and puts California on the road to net-zero fleets in ports and railyards by 2035, and zero-emission trucks and vans by 2040.
On the opposite coast of the US, North-eastern states have also signalled that they plan to adopt the rule, just as they also adopted California’s greenhouse gas emission standards for passenger cars.
When the rule was passed in 2020, it faced one potential hurdle before being implemented in 2024 – the Trump Administration. Under President Trump, the EPA had revoked California’s waiver to set stricter vehicle emission standards than those of the federal government, a law that had been passed under the Obama Administration.
However, the Biden Administration looks to be more forward-looking on climate regulations. In the recent COP26 meet, President Biden promised to ‘lead by example’ on the climate crisis. Under the current administration, experts and scientists are hopeful of meaningful action against climate change, starting with rules like this.
