Ceres statement on the news today that the Virginia General Assembly passed House Bill 1965 to adopt the Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) program.
“Ceres commends the Virginia General Assembly for taking steps to embrace and accelerate the transition to clean and zero-emission vehicles. The clean cars program, coupled with additional policies such as incentives for electric vehicle purchases and investments in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, are needed to ensure Virginia businesses and consumers are able to reap the myriad benefits of clean vehicles.
Major businesses in the Commonwealth support the adoption of clean vehicle standards as a way to curb harmful vehicle pollutant emissions and provide much-needed financial savings for Virginia households and businesses. These businesses also know that making the switch to clean vehicles is critical to tackling the climate crisis. Adopting clean car standards builds off the Clean Economy Act’s efforts to eliminate carbon pollution from the electricity sector by 2050 by ensuring electric vehicles—powered by carbon-free electricity—are readily available for consumers and businesses throughout the Commonwealth”
—Alli Gold Roberts, director of state policy at Ceres.Â
The Virginia General Assembly voted to adopt the full ACC program, which includes both the Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles, and the Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program to require a proportion of new passenger vehicle sales be zero-emission vehicles. Fourteen other states have already adopted the ACC program, including Virginia’s neighbors Maryland and the District of Columbia, and several others have initiated regulatory processes to do the same. Businesses continue to be strong supporters of these standards, most recently weighing in on the adoption process in Minnesota and Nevada.
About Ceres
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.