California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that, due to the current climate crisis, by 2035, every passenger car and truck sold in the state must be carbon-free.
This, after issuing an executive order which specifies that within 15 years, all new cars must be electric or emission-free, which means that those that run on gasoline or diesel will no longer be sold.
Through his Twitter account, the governor stressed that "it is time to be energetic to such a big problem," besides being the most important step taken by the state to combat climate change, because "Californians should not worry about their cars cause asthma in their children, or worsen wildfires and generate more smoky days".
And, he said, the transportation sector is responsible for more than half of California's greenhouse gas emissions, 80 percent of smog and 95 percent of toxic diesel emissions, so the executive order will reduce demand for fossil fuels and thus fight climate change.
It will also allow California to lead the nation nationally on this issue, and then the U.S. will join 15 other countries that have already committed to phasing out gasoline-powered cars, driving innovation in zero-emission vehicles and reducing costs for all.
Thus, the state Air Resources Board will issue regulations to require every new car or truck sold to be zero-emission, which could lead to a more than 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
At the same time, it is intended that by 2045, operations for medium and heavy freight transport services will also be zero emissions, a mandate that will come into force in 2035.
Newsom's signature document stresses that zero-emission vehicles are a key part of the economic innovation of a clean California.
It also directs the state to take greater steps to address oil extraction and support its workers by retaining and creating new jobs during the transition to a non-fossil fuel sector.
Moreover, the executive order calls on state agencies to develop strategies to create a statewide integrated rail and transit network, as well as incorporate safe and accessible infrastructure into projects that support bicycle and pedestrian options, particularly in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
