Washington, D.C. — A new report released today by the Center for American Progress and Climate Advisers urges the United States to lead a global effort to improve vehicle efficiency and outlines a series of bilateral and multilateral actions to achieve this goal.
Oil consumption from road transportation is growing rapidly, contributing to increased emissions, especially in developing countries. Although many countries already have efficiency policies to manage fuel consumption, these policies must be scaled up and expanded across a wider range of vehicles. Fortunately, improved vehicle-efficiency policies are a political opportunity for world leaders, as few other policies so well align interests in economic growth and sustainability across a wide range of counties.
“There is no area more ripe for cooperation than improved vehicle efficiency, and the United States is uniquely poised to lead a global effort to tackle carbon pollution in this sector,” said Pete Ogden, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. “The transportation sector accounts for one-quarter of total global greenhouse gas emissions, and action in this area will simultaneously benefit not only the climate but the economy, energy security, and public health, as well.”
“Thanks to the vehicle efficiency standards that the Obama administration put in place, the United States has emerged as a world leader in this arena,” said Nigel Purvis, president and CEO of Climate Advisers. “But more can still be done. The United States must now use its position to work with other countries to achieve ever more ambitious efficiency standards that will allow everyone to capture their full economic and environmental benefits.”
The report also analyzes market trends and provides the latest information on where key countries are—and how they stack up against one another—in their vehicle standard-setting process.
The report recommends the United States pursue bilateral agreements with the following counties:
- China, to improve truck efficiency through 2025.
- India, to expand efficiency standards to cover more types of vehicles and improve fuel quality.
- Mexico, to harmonize efficiency standards for cars and extending standards for trucks.
Additionally, in order to improve vehicle efficiency worldwide, the report recommends global leaders pursue the following multilateral actions:
- Announce a leader statement of interested countries at the U.N. Secretary-General’s Climate Summit in September.
- Conclude a strong G-20 leader’s statement with vehicle-efficiency goals, such as in the area of heavy duty vehicles.
- Forge an alliance on vehicle efficiency within the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and other multilateral venues.
If pursued, the recommendations outlined in the report would help pave the way for a global agreement by demonstrating the benefits of early action on vehicle efficiency, including economic growth, energy security, improved health, and reduced climate impact.
Read the report: Accelerating Global Vehicle Efficiency by Cecilia Springer, Peter Ogden, Nigel Purvis, and Andreas Dahl-Joergensen
For more information or to speak to an expert on this topic, contact Chelsea Kiene at [email protected].
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