On Friday, California state regulators approved a new rule that would ban the sale of new big rigs and buses that run on diesel by 2036. This ambitious move is aimed at reducing the state’s vehicle emissions and sets the stage for other states to follow suit. The California Air Resources Board approved the regulation, which would fully eliminate the sale of new trucks that emit carbon dioxide across the state by 2045. The rule builds in intermediate goals for government organizations and private companies to decrease their use of diesel trucks. If approved by the federal government, the ban would create the most stringent practices related to truck emissions in the country, keeping California at the forefront of states in trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While some large companies have already begun to use heavy-duty vehicles that emit little to no carbon dioxide, the plan would require a complete transition in new truck purchases by 2036. However, the American Trucking Associations criticized the ban as setting unrealistic targets and unachievable timelines that will increase costs. Despite the concerns, California’s new rule could impact the rest of the country and the world, since the state has been at the forefront of the nation’s clean air regulations for decades and has the ability to set tighter air pollution rules than those used by the federal government.
