INSIDE COMPLIANCE

The effects of climate change and environmental degradation are more apparent than ever, with experts predicting that 2024 will possibly be the hottest year on record. Although significant progress remains to be seen, meaningful efforts like the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 cannot be understated. Still, much more is necessary if the world plans to stay within the 1.5°C threshold, which experts predict will be surpassed by the 2030s. Recognizing the need for urgent, dramatic action, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new standards that would impose dramatic emissions limits on new vehicles produced beginning in 2027. The rule includes a “phase-in” period, allowing some flexibility for vehicle manufacturers to comply with the proposed standards, giving them five years to make the necessary adjustments. This ambitious plan aligns with President Biden’s Executive Order 14037, which sets forth the Administration’s priorities in promoting zero-emissions vehicles. The EPA specifically emphasized the Executive Order’s goal of having “50 percent of U.S. new vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles by 2030.” Given that passenger vehicles make up an estimated 17% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, with transportation being the “single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States,” the goal is admirable. However, achieving this transition to electric vehicles raises deep concerns related to deep seabed mining, the process of extracting critical minerals for batteries from the ocean floor.