CONNECTICUT, USA — Gov. Ned Lamont announced Connecticut's adoption of clean air and truck emission standards to reduce air pollution and protect public health on Wednesday.
The standards call for one-third of cars sold by 2027 to be emissions-free and 100% by 2035. The new standards also apply to medium and heavy-duty vehicles like semi trucks with standards set at 5% sold by 2027 and 60% by 2035.
Lamont and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said they would propose regulations to make cars and trucks up to 90% cleaner and require vehicle manufacturers to deliver more zero-emission vehicles to Connecticut drivers while increasing consumer protections.
“The transportation sector contributes 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions produced here in the State of Connecticut. We cannot meet our goals to do our part to reduce emissions and slow the pace of climate change if we do not reduce emissions for the transportation sector. And a big part of the solution is offering more electric vehicle and clean vehicle options for Connecticut drivers,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes.
Connecticut is now alongside Rhode Island, Maryland, New Jersey, and New Mexico in announcing its intention to adopt new standards. States such as Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont adopted standards in late 2022.
DEEP and Lamont said in a statement that significantly reducing pollution from cars and trucks benefits those living closest to transportation corridors, including many distressed municipalities and other environmental justice communities.
“Connecticut and our neighboring states are taking decisive action to meet our climate pollution reduction targets,” Lamont said in a statement. “Cars and trucks represent the largest air pollution sector in our state and these regulations are moving in coordination with commitments made by vehicle manufacturers to go all in on electrification.”
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