You may recall that one of the bills the faith community supported in this year’s Washington State Legislative Session was Clean Cars 2030, which set a goal for all new vehicles to be electric starting with model year 2030.
In April, we celebrated the legislature passing this policy as part of HB1287 – becoming the first in the nation to pass an electric vehicle goal. The legislature’s action made world headlines and helped advance the timeline for phasing out gas cars.
In a surprise move the Governor vetoed the legislature’s 2030 new vehicle electrification target. Governor Inslee expressed support for target but vetoed the bill because it was tied to implementation of a road usage charge to pay for infrastructure. He explained that “setting and achieving a goal of 100% electric vehicles is too important to tie to the implementation of a separate policy like a road usage charge.” Governor Inslee had previously advocated for a nationwide 2030 gas car phaseout as part of his presidential campaign.
Earth Ministry/WAIPL is joining with the Faith Action Network and our other partners in the Clean Cars campaign to petition the Governor, asking him to honor the desire of the legislature and the electorate by issuing an executive order setting forth this EV target. Add your name to help show broad support from the faith community!
We know we have a moral obligation to enact bold climate action, and this policy will put us on a good path toward a sustainable future. Ending sales of new gas-powered cars is critical to meet the Paris Climate Accord and President Biden’s goal of cutting carbon emissions 50% by 2030. Ten countries have announced plans to phase out gasoline vehicles by 2030 or sooner and manufacturers are making electrification commitments too. We can do this.