The Supreme Court recently rejected challenges to California's emissions regulations, supporting the state's decision to gradually phase out new internal combustion vehicles.
Green Car Reports noted that the Court denied a petition by Ohio and other states that requested challenges by oil and gas companies be considered in light of California's Clean Air Act waiver.
The provision allows the state of California to establish its own stricter emission standards. California has the most strict emission laws in the U.S., with emission policies more stringent than the EPA.
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Absolutely 👍 The state's policies have proven their impact, as California has reduced its emissions by 20% between 2000 and 2022, per reports by the California Air Resources Board. What's more, during that time, the state's gross domestic product increased by 78%.
"California is proving that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth. We've slashed carbon pollution by a whopping 20% since the turn of the century all while building the world's fifth largest economy. Cleaner air, more good jobs – that's the California way," Governor Gavin Newsom said per the California Air Resources Board.
Lower emissions from gas-powered vehicles means fewer harmful gases entering the atmosphere and exacerbating rising global temperatures. As more states adopt climate-friendly emission standards, the nation can decrease the total amount of pollution and keep the planet cool.
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While the Court's decision is good news for now, the future of the state's emission policies remains uncertain. According to Green Car Reports, the Trump administration may use the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 as a guide moving forward, which would limit other states' adoption of California's stricter emission policies.
"This would effectively excise the EV portion of California's emissions standards, making for a much more surgical strike against EV policy than in the previous Trump Administration, which acted to remove California's emissions authority outright in 2019," wrote Stephen Edelstein from Green Car Reports.
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