Trump rolls back Obama-era fuel efficiency rules

The Trump administration rolled back Obama-era pollution and fuel efficiency rules for cars and light trucks on Monday, saying they were too stringent.

The decision by President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency means the emission standards for vehicles in the 2022-2025 model years will be revised, as sought by automakers.

"The Obama administration's determination was wrong," said EPA chief Scott Pruitt.

Former President Barack Obama's EPA "made assumptions about the standards that didn't comport with reality, and set the standards too high," Pruitt said in a statement.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers applauded the move, saying it would "keep new vehicles affordable to more Americans."

"This was the right decision, and we support the administration for pursuing a data-driven effort and a single national program as it works to finalize future standards," said the industry group representing Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen and others.

The rules set in 2012, known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE standards, sought to reduce pollutants released into the air by gradually increasing fuel efficiency across all models offered by manufacturers to 54.5 miles per gallon (4.32 liters per 100 kilometers), compared to 35.5 miles per gallon in 2016.

Pruitt said the EPA in 2012 cut short its review of the standards for "politically charged expediency," but he will work with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop new, "more appropriate" rules.

The agency is also examining the waiver that allows California, the most popular US state, to impose tougher requirements than called for under the Clean Air Act.

One state cannot "dictate standards for the rest of the country," Pruitt said.

"EPA will set a national standard for greenhouse gas emissions that allows auto manufacturers to make cars that people both want and can afford -- while still expanding environmental and safety benefits of newer cars."

This is likely to open a long legal battle between California, a traditionally Democratic state, and Trump's Republican administration.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said the EPA's "assault" on CAFE standards "risks our ability to protect our children's health, tackle climate change and save hardworking Americans money."

"We're ready to file suit if needed to protect these critical standards and to fight the Administration's war on our environment," Becerra said.

Trump has been scaling back many types of regulations, including environmental standards, set by his Democratic predecessor, including pulling out of the Paris climate accord.

US on track to meet climate targets despite Trump: UN chief
United Nations, United States (AFP) March 29, 2018 - The United States is on track to meet the targets of the Paris climate agreement despite President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw from the accord, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday.

Guterres said emissions-cutting plans put in motion by American businesses, regional governments and cities meant that the goals set by the former US administration which signed the deal in 2016 were within reach.

"We have seen in the cities, and we have seen in many states, a very strong commitment to the Paris agreement, to the extent that some indicators are moving even better than in the recent past," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

"There are expectations that, independently of the position of the administration, the US might be able to meet the commitments made in Paris as a country."

Under the deal, the administration of former president Barack Obama pledged to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.

Nearly 200 countries and parties have signed the landmark agreement after intense negotiations in Paris, where all nations made voluntary carbon-cutting pledges running to 2030.

The agreement is aimed at limiting global warming to within two degrees Celsius, but Guterres warned that more action was needed by 2020 to reach that goal.

Trump faced condemnation when he announced in June 2017 that the United States was pulling out, painting the accord as a "bad deal" for the US economy.

Under the agreement, the United States can formally give notice that it plans to withdraw in 2019, three years after the accord came into force, and the withdrawal would become effective in 2020.

Describing climate change as "the most systemic threat to humankind," Guterres said recent data on extreme weather events showed that "2017 was filled with climate chaos."

"2018 has already brought more of the same," he said.

"Food security, health, stability itself all hang in the balance."

Guterres is planning to host a major summit next year to take stock of progress in implementing the climate deal, but it remains unlikely that Trump would attend.

Though Guterres said the US is on track to meet Paris climate agreement targets, the Trump administration still has the ability to change current regulations.

The New York Times reported Thursday, citing an Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman, that the White House was expected to push a plan to loosen standards on emissions and vehicle fuel economy standards -- undercutting the previous administration's bid to fight climate change.

Such a move would represent a win for automakers, potentially paving the way to lower the bar for standards globally.

Lights out for world landmarks in nod to nature
Paris (AFP) March 22, 2018
World landmarks from the Eiffel Tower to the Empire State Building will go dark this weekend to support the fight against climate change and highlight the dangers mankind poses to nature. The 11th edition of Earth Hour, an annual bid to raise awareness about climate change caused by burning fossil fuels, will see iconic structures cut the lights at a time when global temperatures are the highest on record. "Climate change is a major threat to the stability of the planet and our livelihood and so ... read more