Statement on EPA Greenlighting State Authority to Set Stricter Car Emission Standards

DENVER - Today, Governor Polis released a statement following the news that the Environmental Protection Agency will restore states’ authority to set stricter emission standards on cars and SUVs. 

“Today’s announcement is a welcome one as Colorado has long been a leader in working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly in the transportation sector. One of my first actions as Governor was to put Colorado on the path toward adopting a zero emissions vehicle standard, which we did in 2019, and we continue taking bold action to protect the Colorado way of life. Earlier this year we released our Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap and are working with Colorado legislators to modernize our transportation system. Over the last few years, in the absence of federal leadership, states like Colorado have taken on leadership roles with aggressive efforts to clean our air and reduce emissions. Restoring state authority to adopt strong standards is an important step forward. In addition, our nation would be well served by new federal standards that move the entire country towards a zero emission vehicle future.”