· 3 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: The U.S. Senate voted 51–44 on Thursday to block California from enforcing its 2035 ban on new gasoline car sales — an ambitious state-level climate regulation
• The resolution, led by Senate Republicans, now heads to President Trump, who is expected to sign it into law
• This move follows a broader pattern of federal GOP efforts to curtail progressive climate policies enacted in blue states
🔭 The context: California’s gas vehicle phase-out, approved in 2022 and supported by an EPA waiver under the Clean Air Act, has been adopted by 11 other states representing 40% of the U.S. auto market
• The Clean Air Act historically allows California to set stricter emissions standards, a provision targeted by this new Congressional resolution
• Parallel legal actions from the Justice Department challenge other state-led climate laws in New York, Vermont, Hawaii, and Michigan
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: California’s rule is a cornerstone of U.S. efforts to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), with implications for automaker strategies and emissions reductions nationwide
• Reversing it risks slowing EV adoption and undermining states’ capacity to lead on climate action
• Critics argue that overriding state authority undermines federalist climate governance at a time of rising environmental urgency
⏭️ What's next: President Trump is expected to sign the resolution, formally revoking California’s waiver. Legal challenges may follow, especially regarding the Congressional Review Act’s applicability to EPA waivers
• States may seek to defend their regulatory autonomy in court, while environmental groups prepare litigation
• The outcome could reshape how climate policy is made in a divided federal landscape, with ramifications for clean energy investment and regulatory certainty
💬 One quote: “Lots of states were eager to have cleaner cars, and now that option is being taken away from them.” — Michael Gerrard, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
📈 One stat: The 12 states aligned with California’s rule represent about 40% of the U.S. auto market, making the regulation nationally significant despite its state-level origin
See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of General Motors, and Toyota and its peers Ford, and Stellantis
Click for more news covering the latest on sustainable mobility and public governance
