ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL DEFENDS FEDERAL GREENHOUSE GAS STANDARDS FOR LIGHT-DUTY VEHICLES

Chicago  — Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general, as well as 6 cities and counties, in filing a motion to intervene in defense of federal greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) standards for light-duty vehicles. The transportation sector accounts for nearly one-third of all GHG emissions in the United States, and light-duty vehicles account for nearly 60% of those emissions. As part of efforts to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized more stringent GHG standards for model years 2023 to 2026 passenger cars and light trucks.

“The EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions standards for light-duty vehicles are critically important in reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment,” Raoul said. “Every state across the country, including Illinois, will benefit from the carbon reductions required by the federal GHG regulations.”

The EPA’s GHG standards for light-duty vehicles are critical for reducing emissions, improving air quality, and protecting public health. By 2050, the EPA estimates that the standards will reduce GHG emissions by 3.1 billion metric tons, as well as reduce emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide – two pollutants which cause significant adverse health impacts – by 14,700 tons and 60,200 tons respectively. Conservatively, the standards are expected to result in between $120 billion and $190 billion of total net benefits.

In today’s motion to intervene, Raoul and the coalition argue that the GHG standards are critically important to states, which are already experiencing the economic, public health, and environmental impacts of climate change. 

Joining Raoul in filing the motion are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the California Air Resources Board, the cities of Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and the county of Denver and San Francisco.