A coalition of 15 states and the District of Columbia formally agreed to require 100% of new medium and heavy-duty truck sales be zero emissions by 2050. The agreement, which also includes a 30% target by 2030, marks a dramatic step by the states and District toward reducing carbon pollution from the transportation sector, currently the country’s largest source of carbon pollution. While the legally non-binding agreement does not adopt targets identical to those enacted by the California Air Resources Board in June, states are able to individually adopt those regulations. The proliferation of zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty trucks is expected to have outsized benefits for communities of color which are exposed to significantly higher levels of pollution.

Along with Washington, DC, the participating states are California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. (Reuters, The Verge, E&E $, The Hill, Vermont Biz, Axios)