Friends of the Earth's Clean Cars Program is leading vital efforts nationwide to achieve aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas pollution from vehicles. Specifically, FoE's Clean Cars Program works to promote sustainable, alternative transportation options, with an emphasis on plug-in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure sourced from renewable energy. The Program also focuses on shaping Calfornia transportation policy, given the state's historical role as a key incubator for federal policy on transportation and environmental issues.
Friends of the Earth is working to ensure that California, and the nation as a whole, fosters the development of sustainable alternative fuels and vehicles, such as plug-in electric vehicles. Numerous plug-in electric vehicle models are coming to market as early as next year, and billions of dollars in federal funding were recently passed for plug-ins as part of the new Obama administration's Stimulus Package. Please see our toolkit to build a plug-in promotion campaign locally: Plug-In the Nation: A Guide to Building a Market for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles.
Friends of the Eath is now working to make California, and the nation, "plug-in ready" by developing networks of solar fuel stations so our cars can be fueled by truly renewable energy -- the sun -- and achieve deep and immediate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
California's success in reshaping its transportation policies will resonate nationwide, and potentially worldwide, as other states and nations follow California's lead. This next year will be critical in determining whether California successfully sets a course to achieve its transportation-focused greenhouse gas reduction targets.
We are actively engaging in five major regulatory processes in California that will increase corporate and governmental investments in clean alternative fuels and vehicles, drive innovative vehicle technologies, create alternative fuel choices, and improve vehicle fuel efficiency, reducing global warming pollution and improving air quality for decades to come. These proceedings include the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the Zero Emission Vehicle Standard; the Pavley greenhouse gas vehicle law; the AB 118 Alternative Fuel and Vehicle funding process; and the California Public Utilities Commission's recent Order Instituting Rulemaking entitled To Consider Alternative-Fueled Vehicle Tariffs, Infrastructure and Policies to Support California’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Goals.
Our Clean Cars Program is working hard to:
During recent years, FoE's Clean Cars Program has achieved outstanding victories in a variety of efforts on climate change and vehicle standards, including the following:
