California joins global commitment to zero-emission vehicles by 2035

Thirty-four countries, not including the United States, 41 cities and regional governments and 11 car manufacturers signed the declaration, in addition to a list of fleet owners, major investors and financial institutions.

The declaration lists out a series of responsibilities for each sector of influence. For a state like California, the declaration means initiating policy that will incentivize and enable the transition to zero-emission vehicles to occur as quickly as possible, given the extent of their sovereign power.

“We will work together to overcome strategic, political, and technical barriers, accelerate the production of zero emission vehicles and increase economies of scale, to make the transition faster, lower cost, and easier for everyone,” reads the declaration. “We will also work together to boost investment, bring down costs and increase the uptake of zero emission vehicles and the many economic, social and environmental benefits it brings.”

On Wednesday, California also took on leadership for the international Transport Decarbonisation Alliance, which is a coalition of leading countries, cities, regions and companies that are pushing for sustainable transportation. The alliance also initiated a call to action for forces in the public and private sphere to work together on zero-emission infrastructure.

Gov. Gavin Newsom made remarks on California’s leading clean emissions policies on Wednesday, highlighting the state’s milestone achievement of selling a million zero-emission vehicles last month.

He also noted the state’s preexisting goal to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2035, along with his aggressive approach to cut carbon emissions from trains, trucks and buses.

“This is the most impactful step we can take to fight climate change and it will take partners working together across all sectors of society to accelerate the transition,” Newsom said in a pre-recorded statement at the conference. “As the fifth-largest economy in the world, California will continue to use our market power to push zero-emission vehicle innovation and drive down costs for everyone as we clean the air and create a healthier future for our children and the planet.”