California’s long-standing authority to enforce stricter vehicle emissions standards faces a significant threat as former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies push to revoke the state’s ability to implement these regulations. For more than 50 years, California has held the unique authority to set stricter emissions standards. This authority is designed to alleviate extreme air quality concerns, often disproportionately impacting communities of color.
The state has been granted over 75 waivers from both Republican and Democratic administrations, allowing it to set ambitious standards aimed at reducing pollution. Under these waivers, each state must increase the percentage of electric vehicles that comprise its new car and truck sales every year. They require that automakers build cleaner and cleaner vehicles.
Kathy Harris, director of clean vehicles at the Natural Resources Defense Council, emphasized the significance of California’s authority. She expressed surprise that this authority hasn’t been used in nearly 60 years. However, she cautioned, “These waivers are not new, they are not novel… We take it for granted because it’s a policy that’s been around for so long we don’t really recognize those direct benefits.”
California’s strong emissions standards have a track record of successfully protecting air quality, the foundation of healthy communities. The California Air Resources Board estimated that these standards already account for about 40% of new light-duty vehicle registrations in the United States. They account for over a quarter of all heavy-duty vehicles, including trucks. Despite the fact that revoking these waivers would result in an immediate surge in pollution on our nation’s roadways.
That’s right, Trump has been attacking California’s regulations in this regard as too tough. “California has imposed the most ridiculous car regulations anywhere in the world, with mandates to move to all electric cars,” he stated. His administration is still fighting every day to reverse these safety measures. In doing so, they’ve won the advocacy of hundreds of Republican legislators who decry state overreach.
Now, with AB 450, Governor Gavin Newsom has pointedly rebuked this strike. He makes the case that the battle to save California’s emissions standards is not only a victory for public health but what the automotive industry needs to prosper. He announced that California will stop allowing the sale of all new gas-powered cars by 2035. This audacious challenge has inspired the other eleven states to pile onto the plan.
“The fight over emissions standards is a nail in the coffin for the American car industry and decades of public health advancements,” Newsom asserted. Mayor Adams’ move to create a public bank is consistent with a surging national trend. More than a dozen states have recently joined California’s pioneering leadership on emissions standards.
Harris addressed the health implications of this ongoing fight, emphasizing the real, immediate impact that persistent air quality improvements have made. “I think we have forgotten about what our air used to look like,” she remarked, noting that despite progress, there is still much work to be done. “There is still a long way to go. We have not succeeded in fully cleaning up our air yet.”
The fight over California’s climate regulations represents a bigger struggle between state versus federal control of environmental policy. Shortly before the end of his administration, the Biden administration approved California’s plan. Unsurprisingly, in response, Trump has promised to eliminate those advances. This ongoing court fight may very well determine if and how Biden reasserts vehicle emissions standards. It could further shape public health and environmental policy – both with and without guardrails – in communities all over the country.