Amidst attacks on clean air, NJ business leaders & health professionals stand up for cleaner cars

Trenton — Today, the public comment period closes on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) standard, which will clean up our air, protect vulnerable communities, and advance consumer choice for New Jerseyans.

Business leaders, health professionals, clean air activists, consumer advocates, and policy experts have stood up in support of this life-saving policy. Despite extremist opposition that has flooded the state with outside money from fossil fuel industry forces in an attempt to blunt support, spread misinformation, and seed doubt about electric vehicles, supporters of clean air and climate action are urging policymakers to choose a clean car future.

As the public comment period for ACCII ends, the program has received broad and diverse support across New Jersey, including:

• Letter of support from 50 companies and investors
• Letter of support from 100+ New Jersey-based organizations
• Business support letter from Ceres’ Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance;
• Clinicians for Climate Action New Jersey letter of support from nearly 100 health care professionals (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, and public health workers) across the state;
• Sierra Club petition signed by more nearly 1000 NJ residents urging Governor Murphy and the DEP \

The proposed ACCII program would require automakers to steadily and gradually increase their sales of new electric vehicles, helping households and businesses reduce their dependence on expensive and deadly fossil fuels.

According to a recent report commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club, the cumulative net societal benefits of ACCII adoption could reach up to $96.9 billion by 2050, though to capture these benefits, New Jersey must adopt ACCII before the end of 2023 so it applies to model year 2027 vehicles.

New Jersey is already experiencing economic upsides, with clean transportation employment jumping more than 15 percent in 2022, according to a new analysis from E2.

The following advocates, health professionals, and business leaders are available for comment or interviews.

• Richard Lawton, Executive Director of the NJ Sustainable Business Council
• Elizabeth Cercero, MD, FACP, FHM, Director of Environmental Health and Associate Professor, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
• Felicia K. Taylor, CEO, New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
• Doug O’Malley, Director, Environment New Jersey
• Drew Tompkins, Director, Jersey Renews Coalition
• Pamela Frank, CEO, ChargEVC-NJ
• Alli Gold Roberts, senior director, state policy, Ceres

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