Today, more than 175 leading environmental and transportation groups sent Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg a letter urging him to complete the greenhouse gas rule immediately.
The letter, initiated by the National Campaign for Transit Justice and the National Association of City Transportation Officials, Natural Resources Defense Council, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, TransitCenter, Transportation for America and US PIRG, was signed by Earthjustice, Evergreen Action, Sierra Club, The Transit Coalition, TransitMatters, and many others.
The letter states:
The transportation sector is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. There is no time to waste as record amounts of federal taxpayer funds are already flowing to states thanks to the infrastructure law (the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA). The Georgetown Climate Center summed up the stakes in a recent issue brief: “IIJA could be an important part of the U.S. response to climate change. Or it could lead to more greenhouse gas pollution than the trajectory we are currently on. Where the actual outcome falls within that range will depend on the decisions made by state, federal, regional, and local governments about how to spend the money made available by IIJA.”
And continues:
IIJA is a historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure, and the public has a right to know how those funds affect our climate future. The addition of the greenhouse gas measure to the Department’s existing performance measurement framework will shine needed light on the climate impacts of these investments and lead to more informed decision-making.
The climate crisis is not coming; it is here now. And given that urgency, we ask for your support in quickly finalizing this rule to meet the moment of crisis we are in.