SACE joined 34 other organizations in signing a call to action letter led by GreenLatinos to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set the strongest vehicle emissions standards that if enacted, will protect Americans’ health, especially for those living in Latino/e communities disproportionately overburdened by transportation pollution.

SACE joined 34 other organizations in signing a call to action letter led by GreenLatinos to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set the strongest vehicle emissions standards. Strong emissions standards will protect Americans’ health, especially for those living in Latino/e communities disproportionately overburdened by transportation pollution.

GreenLatinos is a national non-profit organization with active communities of Latino/a/x leaders that organizes and utilizes cultural connections, shared resources, and collective power to advocate for Latino environmental justice priorities.

The letter urges that the standards for light, medium, and heavy-duty cars, trucks, and buses must require tighter limits on diesel vehicles in order to create increasingly cleaner transportation as manufacturers transition to zero-emission vehicles. The letter also urges for the finalization of the strongest possible standards by the end of 2023 for multi-Pollutant L/MDV and an increase in the pace of transitioning to cleaner vehicle technology after 2030 to stay on track to achieve a zero-emissions transportation future. 

The urgent adoption of stringent vehicle standards is a clear need for the healthy future of Latino/e communities. The transportation industry is responsible for the largest source of pollution in the U.S. and the Southeast. The Latino/e communities disproportionately suffer harm from these emissions. While Latino/es are less likely to have access to a car and Latino/e workers commute by public transit nearly three times the rate of white commuters. Latino/e communities are experiencing up to 75% higher rates of exposure to harmful pollutants.

The Southeast is home to many Latino/e communities, from 2000 to 2010, the region’s population grew by more than 2.3 million—a nearly 70 percent increase. Most Latinos in the United States say global climate change is an important concern, and climate change and other environmental issues are often cited as concerns in their local community. 

Joining in supporting and uplifting Latino/e communities’ environmental priorities is key to seeing and manifesting a clean energy future for all in the Southeast. To join GreenLatino’s network of advocacy, click the link here.   

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy’s Electrify the South program leverages research, advocacy, and outreach to accelerate ​the ​equitable ​transition to ​electric transportation across the Southeast. Visit ElectrifytheSouth.org to learn more and connect with us.