Here’s what we think about the Biden administration’s proposed GHG emissions-tracking rule

In July, the Biden administration introduced a proposal that would require states and municipalities to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Shortly afterward, our director of engagement and impact, Meg Fencil, weighed in for an installment of Climate News, a WFAE newsletter. 

“It’s important that both the state and municipalities support sustainable transportation investments so that residents can more easily use public transit, ride a bike, walk, or drive electric vehicles,” Meg said. “North Carolina and other states will make the most progress on fighting climate change if we have a clear and consistent way of measuring GHGs from transportation and developing plans to reduce them.”

But we didn’t stop there. 

The Federal Highway Administration released the draft of the rule for public feedback, and we submitted our opinion. The transportation sector accounts for more than one-fourth of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. — and most of that comes from light-duty vehicles like personal cars.  

Overall, we support the proposed rule, and we think the transparency and accountability created through this rule will encourage states and metropolitan planning organizations to consider greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts when making their transportation investment decisions. But we also think there’s room for improvement, and we shared our recommendations. 

Read our full letter here.