The US didn’t be part of international locations in a pledge to rapidly phase out gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles as a result of the Biden administration is “targeted on what we’re doing at residence,” Pete Buttigieg, the transportation secretary, mentioned Tuesday.
Talking on the United Nations local weather convention in Glasgow, the place occasions on Wednesday have been targeted on transportation, Mr. Buttigieg mentioned america was taking steps to cut back carbon emissions from autos.
However the pledge by six automakers and about 30 international locations to part out gross sales of recent gasoline and diesel-powered autos by 2040 worldwide — and by 2035 in “main markets” — would transfer at a quicker tempo than the Biden administration has known as for.
Mr. Biden has signed an government order geared toward guaranteeing that 50 percent of all new vehicles offered in america are electrical by 2030, a transfer made with the help of main automakers.
“Totally different international locations clearly are taking completely different approaches,” Mr. Buttigieg mentioned. “We have now to do what’s proper for america and in addition help worldwide motion. That’s the stability, I feel, that we’re putting.”
Britain, Canada and India are amongst people who joined the pledge, together with California and Washington State.
Mr. Buttigieg additionally introduced on Tuesday a blueprint for the U.S. aviation sector to realize net-zero greenhouse gasoline emissions by 2050.
Known as the U.S. Aviation Local weather Motion Plan, its key initiatives embrace working with business to develop extra environment friendly plane and engine applied sciences that might create as much as a 30 p.c enchancment in gasoline financial savings in comparison with right this moment’s planes, and the expanded use of sustainable fuels together with from biomass and different meals shares that might assist cut back emissions.
“It’s actually about ensuring that we use coverage instruments to encourage the adoption, to get scale large enough that we shut the associated fee hole between typical jet gasoline and sustainable aviation gasoline,” Mr. Buttigieg mentioned.
