Photo by Joint Office of Energy and Transportation
Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation released a strategy to accelerate zero-emission freight infrastructure deployment. The Moving Forward Network (MFN) is encouraged by the Administration’s whole-of-government approach to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions trucks by supporting infrastructure in key freight corridors. We welcome the opportunity to connect frontline and fenceline leadership and expertise and work with Agencies on implementation.
For too long, frontline and fenceline communities have disproportionately suffered from the public health and environmental impacts caused by the freight transportation system. Planning the critical infrastructure to accelerate the transition to zero-emission trucks is an important step in achieving 100% Zero Emissions across the freight transportation system, as requested in MFN’s letter in January 2024.
The transition to zero-pollution freight is vital to protecting communities and addressing the climate crisis. The National Corridor Strategy complements extensive zero-pollution freight funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law coupled with the goal from the Justice40 Initiative. However, coordination and funding must be paired with the strongest possible pollution standards and a commensurate Whole-of-Government zero-emission freight effort.
The transition to zero-emission trucks is critical to addressing the environmental, climate, and public health risks caused by the freight transportation system. The announcement from the Biden Administration’s Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy brings together a coordinated effort across federal agencies and sends clear signals that regulations like the upcoming Phase 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Rule must be the strongest possible and clearly move us on a path to zero-emissions for trucks set by this strategy.
The Biden administration’s Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy is an important component for a national zero-emission freight system. What’s needed now is a clear commitment to 100% Zero Emissions across the freight transportation system and a comprehensive environmental justice-centered national strategy for meeting that goal.
Interested in learning more?
Read our letter to the White House and visit our Zero Emissions in Freight page to learn more about our campaign.
