It's too early to get too excited about the agreement signed last week between the country of Canada and the state of California on advancing cleaner vehicles and fuels because it lacks a lot of specifics. But at a time when automakers have expressed frustration with President Donald Trump's efforts to essentially create two sets of auto-emission policies by weakening ones adopted by California and 13 other states, the deal sends the right message.
Not only will California not cave to the administration's strong-arm tactics, it will seek out ever more allies to show the nation _ and world _ that its approach on reducing vehicle carbon emissions is better business than Trump's planned rollback.
The states working with California to cut greenhouse gas emissions are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Collectively, with California, these states make up more than 40% of the U.S. passenger vehicle market.
Canada's auto emissions standards have emulated U.S. rules, but several analysts told The New York Times that Wednesday's announcement signaled a potential switch to the tougher standards of California and the other states. More states should take a stand against the administration's planned rollback this year, forcing automakers to follow a single, cleaner set of standards. That's better for the long-term health of the industry and the planet.
