More than 100 organizations gather to defend clean heavy transport policies in the U.S.

A diverse set of more than 100 environmental, health, and public interest groups called on governors across the U.S. to maintain support for clean trucks policies, amidst backlash from some corners of the trucking industry. According to these organizations, the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT) standards are expected to “create billions of dollars in economic, environmental, and public health benefits in the 11 states that have adopted the program.

“The ACT standards do not ban diesel vehicles or force customers to purchase electric trucks. The program gives manufacturers lead time and flexibility to bring cleaner vehicles to market, and ensures purchasers can access a thriving market with a variety of affordable models of clean trucks and buses to consider”, they added.

Clean heavy transport policies at risk in the U.S.

Vans, trucks, and buses contribute disproportionately to air pollution, accounting for 23% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions despite representing just 5% of on-road vehicles in the United States. These trucks travel significantly more miles, with Class 8 semi-trucks traveling more than four times the vehicle miles traveled of the average passenger car. Many of the states that have adopted the ACT rule already have funding in place to incentivize the purchase of zero-emission vehicles.

“As the new administration attacks federal policies that protect our environment and improve our health, it’s critical for state leaders to stand strongly in defense of the Advanced Clean Trucks rules,” said Aaron Kressig, transportation electrification manager at Western Resource Advocates. “The states that have committed to ACT will see significant economic benefits and a reduction of dangerous tailpipe emissions that harm the lungs of our most vulnerable citizens. The states that adopted ACT should stay the course – and others should follow their example.”

“The United States shouldn’t be the last person in town selling horseshoes while the global market races towards electric vehicles,” added Guillermo Ortiz, Senior Clean Vehicles Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The Advanced Clean Trucks standards are our roadmap to reclaim global leadership in clean transportation — not by clinging to legacy technologies but by outpacing the world in innovation. The states that have adopted ACT aren’t just setting targets; they’re forging a blueprint to save lives, create the industries of tomorrow, and prioritize communities long burdened by pollution. The future isn’t inherited; it’s built. Let’s make sure more states join this race — because the world isn’t waiting, and neither should we.”