Gov. Inslee holds Washington to strong emission standards

Washington state is standing strong on clean air even as federal protections face setbacks in Washington, D.C.

On Jan. 2, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that, despite a national rollback of the Clean Car Standards, all new vehicles licensed in Washington will continue to meet California’s fuel emission standards, following a ruling by the Department of Ecology. These standards will progressively reduce the release of greenhouse gases through 2025. Gov. Inslee acknowledged that national rollbacks that could add 500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, making action at the state level even more critical.

“We thank Gov. Inslee for making sure Washington reduces its transportation emissions,” said Environment Washington State Director Bruce Speight. “We are excited to work with the governor and legislators to further reduce carbon pollution in the state.”

Environment Washington is looking to act on climate in the new legislative session to reduce carbon emissions by moving away from relying on fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.

Photo: All new vehicles licensed in Washington will continue to meet California’s fuel emission standards. Credit: Ruben de Rijcke CC BY-SA 3.0.