Environmental Leaders to Auto CEOs: Clean Car Standards Are a Win-Win

Environmental Leaders to Auto CEOs: Clean Car Standards Are a Win-Win
 
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of tomorrow’s planned auto industry meeting with President Donald Trump, environmental leaders urged carmakers to side with Americans who want cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles by opposing the administration’s plans to roll back the Clean Car Standards.
 
“When you meet with President Trump on Friday, we ask that you stand with the majority of Americans who want cleaner, more fuel efficient cars and cleaner air. We ask that you oppose any rollback of the fuel economy and climate pollution standards and support working in concert with California’s clean cars program,” reads the letter, which was signed by leaders of the League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.
 
Major carmakers are slated to attend the White House meeting tomorrow. The Clean Car Standards are overwhelmingly popular, will reduce climate pollution by 6 billion tons, and will save Americans more than $1 trillion at the gas pump.
 
“These standards are working exactly as they were designed to do – they are protecting our health and climate, driving innovation, saving Americans money at the gas pump, and reducing our reliance on oil. And you have been meeting these standards while enjoying record profits. They are truly a win-win,” the environmental leaders say in the letter.  
 
The full letter can be found here and below.

Mrs. Mary T. Barra 
Chairman and CEO 
General Motors Company 

Mr. Sergio Marchionne 
Chairman and CEO 
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US

Mr. James P. Hackett 
President and CEO 
Ford Motor Company

Mr. Toshiaki Mikoshiba 
President and CEO 
American Honda Motor Co.

Mr. James Lentz 
CEO 
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

Mr. Anders Gustafsson 
Senior Vice President, Americas 
Volvo Car Group

Mr. Fred Diaz 
President and CEO 
Mitsubishi Motors North America

Mr. Bernhard Kuhnt 
CEO 
BMW of North America

Mr. Thomas J. Doll 
President and COO 
Subaru of America

Mr. Hinrich J. Woebcken 
President and CEO 
Volkswagen Group of America 

Mr. Dietmar Exler 
President and CEO 
Mercedes-Benz USA

Mr. Masahiro Moro 
President and CEO 
Mazda North American Operations 

Dr. Ralf Speth
CEO 
Jaguar Land Rover North America

Mr. Denis Le Vot 
Chairman and Senior Vice President 
Nissan North America

Mr. Kyung Soo Lee 
President and CEO 
Hyundai Motor America 

Mr. SeungKyu (Sean) Yoon 
President and CEO 
Kia Motors America

Dear Auto Executives, 
 
On behalf of our over 10 million members and supporters, who are your customers, we strongly oppose any rollback of the fuel economy and climate pollution standards or any attack on state authority to address tailpipe pollution. These standards are working exactly as they were designed to do – they are protecting our health and climate, driving innovation, saving Americans money at the gas pump, and reducing our reliance on oil. And you have been meeting these standards while enjoying record profits. They are truly a win-win.
 
Curbing pollution from the transportation sector could not be more important in our fight against climate change, as this sector is now America’s largest source of climate pollution. The fuel economy and climate pollution standards would save nearly 2.5 million barrels of oil a day by 2030, save Americans $1 trillion, and reduce climate change pollution by 6 billion metric tons.
 
What’s more, rolling back the fuel economy and climate pollution standards is out of step with the vast majority of the people in this country who are your consumers. Recent polling shows strong support for the existing standards. And 87 percent of Americans — across party lines — want automakers to continue to improve fuel economy.
 
When you meet with President Trump on Friday, we ask that you stand with the majority of Americans who want cleaner, more fuel efficient cars and cleaner air. We ask that you oppose any roll back of the fuel economy and climate pollution standards and support working in concert with California’s clean cars program.

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President
League of Conservation Voters

Fred Krupp
President
Environmental Defense Fund

Rhea Suh
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

Michael Brune
Executive Director
Sierra Club

Ken Kimmell
President 
Union of Concerned Scientists