🔎 What’s going on?
In a historic move, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) introduces Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) scheme. It is now a legal requirement for automakers to sell more electric trucks from 2024.
🚚 Awesome, let’s break it down...
This landmark first-of-a-kind policy builds on California’s already existing Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) program introduced back in 2012. The scheme affects medium to heavy-duty vehicles (from Class 2b to 8).
This regulation has two components:
- Zero-emissions trucks sale - manufactures who sell or certify trucks that are classes 2b to 8 will now have to sell more zero-emissions trucks from 2024.
- Company and fleet reporting - Large employers in retail, manufacturing and others will now be required to report on new purchases. Similarly, fleet owners with 50 or more trucks will also have to report on their existing fleet operations.
What's truly incredible about this scheme is the strong market signal it's sending out to manufactures in the transport sector.
❓ Why should I care?
In 2016, global carbon emissions from transportation (which includes road, rail, air and marine) were 24%. In terms of transport modes, road transport contributes to the bulk of emissions by 72%!
Electrification of road transport is one of the important solutions and in California, not to mention the huge estimated benefits for public health and the economy:
- $8.9 billion in health savings from 2020 to 2040
- 7,442 new jobs created by 2040
- $1.7 billion in avoided CO2 emissions by 2040
- $5.9 billion in industry savings by 2040; and
- $282 million added to state GDP by 2040.
🚦 Where do we need to be?
California is just one state - there are 49 other states in the United States of America. If every single state adopted this regulation, public health and climate benefits would be massive. Additionally, employers that own or control trucks, should look to switch to an electric truck. According to the CARB, there are more than 70 different models of zero-emission vans, trucks and buses that are commercially available.
Countries all over the world should be taking note and implementing this historic policy.
👤 What can I do about it?
If you own a vehicle, regardless of the size, switch to a zero-carbon vehicle (electric or hydrogen) if possible. Do check out our previous article on how switching all cars to electric would cut emissions by 12%.