Getting Creative on Vehicle Emissions

UCLA Law set to host a symposium on April 9 on ways to charge ahead on cutting emissions.

These are tough times for lovers of zero emission vehicles–and clean air.  I probably don’t need to recite the threats to both, but here’s a sampling: the Trump Administration has pledged to roll back federal air quality standards and mobile source emissions standards; is gutting funding for EV charging networks (and is even, maddeningly, shutting off existing chargers); and is threatening to undo, if it can, California’s pioneering emissions standards and ZEV mandates for cars and trucks.  (& let’s not talk about what’s happening with Tesla at the moment.)

These federal rollbacks, of course, don’t displace or undo California’s statewide goals to clean up pollution from transportation. Our state’s goals are driven by urgent public health needs: Cars, trucks, and other mobile sources cause much of the air pollution responsible for missing federally-mandated clean air targets and contribute to increases in respiratory diseases, heart attacks, and other serious health problems.  So California remains committed to reducing pollution from mobile sources where it can, but now must do so without much help from, and even while battling, the feds on these issues.

What are the best ways to keep pushing forward on transportation emissions at the state and local levels, given these dynamics? If you’re free next Wednesday, April 9, come join us at UCLA Law School for a discussion of this question.  Together with the California Lawyers Association Environmental Law Section, we are hosting  “Charging Ahead,” an all-day event focused on ways to cut vehicle emissions during the next four years and beyond. Three panels will tackle creative, durable policy tools for cutting transportation pollution and for boosting public transit–especially ones that don’t depend on the status of vehicle emissions standards.  Think ZEV-only zones, fuel standards, clean car rebates, public transit strategies, and, for the true Clean Air Act nerds among you, indirect source rules. Which of these tools, or others, are the most promising in this new federal deregulatory environment?  And how can we best advance them?

California Attorney General Rob Bonta will give a lunch keynote address. Our Faculty Director Ann Carlson will give plenary remarks.  Panelists and moderators include Madeline Brozen, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; Alfonso Directo, Jr., Alliance for Community Transit – Los Angeles; Jessi Hafer Fierro, California Air Resources Board; Brian Goldman, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom; Joe Lyou, Coalition for Clean Air; Brennon Mendez, UCLA Law; Adriano Martinez, Earthjustice; Bryn Moncelsi, Climate Resolve; Alex Nieves, Politico; Craig Segall, Craig Segall Consulting LLC and formerly of Evergreen Action; Amy Turner, Columbia Law School; and Julia Stein, UCLA Law.

The event is free, but registration is required — you can register here.

California Lawyers Association, Charging Ahead, Emmett Institute, pollution, Transportation, UCLA Law