WASHINGTON — In a major step to fight climate change, the Biden administration is raising vehicle mileage standards to significantly reduce emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases, reversing a Trump-era rollback that loosened fuel efficiency standards, AP reported.
A final rule issued Monday would raise mileage standards starting in the 2023 model year, reaching a projected industry-wide target of 40 miles per gallon by 2026. The new standard is 25 per cent higher than a rule finalized by the Trump administration last year and 5 per cent higher than a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency in August.
“We are setting robust and rigorous standards that will aggressively reduce the pollution that is harming people and our planet – and save families money at the same time,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. He called the rule “a giant step forward” in delivering on President Joe Biden’s climate agenda “while paving the way toward an all-electric, zero-emissions transportation future.″
The move comes a day after Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin delivered a potentially fatal blow to Biden’s $2 trillion social and environmental policy bill, jeopardising Democrats’ agenda and infuriating the White House. The West Virginia senator said he could not support the sweeping bill, which includes a host of climate proposals, saying it was too expensive and could spark inflation and expand the growing federal debt.
The now-stalled bill includes a $7,500 tax credit to buyers to lower the cost of electric vehicles.
The administration will “continue to fight tirelessly” for the EV tax credits and other incentives in the so-called Build Back Better bill, Regan said, but even without them, “we believe that we proposed a rule that is doable, it’s affordable, it’s achievable, and we’re excited about it.”
