Green groups criticize automakers over support for ‘more carbon pollution’

A coalition of environmental groups are publicly calling on automakers to drop their support for the Trump administration’s move to prevent California from setting its own fuel efficiency standards.

The five organizations took out an advertisement in The Washington Post, the Detroit Free Press and The Sacramento Bee that reads: “Why are some automakers suing for more carbon pollution?”

It was followed by an open letter asking automakers General Motors, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi to “immediately withdraw from litigation against existing clean car standards.”

The letter was signed by leaders of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, the League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club and the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

“Your companies’ products together are responsible for a major share of climate pollution from transportation,” the letter said. “Yet unlike other leading companies in the automotive sector and across other sectors, your companies are attacking crucial clean air standards that are helping address climate change.”

The auto companies are siding with the Trump administration in a lawsuit over whether California can set its own fuel economy standards.

In October, the Coalition for Sustainable Automotive Regulation, which is backed by several leading car manufacturers, filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the Trump administration.

“Since 2010, America has had a unified fuel economy in greenhouse gas emission and programs on improved fuel efficiency,” coalition spokesman John Bozzella said at the time. “Recent federal and California rulemakings have threatened to end this balanced approach, creating uncertainty for consumers.”

California and a coalition of other states are suing the administration, challenging its authority to revoke a pollution waiver permitting California to set more rigorous tailpipe emissions standards.

The administration announced in September that it was revoking the waiver.