Governor Glenn Youngkin has spent his entire administration trying to walk back Virginia's climate progress and ignore laws passed by the General Assembly to cut air pollution. Yesterday, it was the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Today, it’s Advanced Clean Car Standards – a law passed in 2021 to phase in zero-emission vehicles. 

Governor Youngkin thinks he is above the law, and is insisting that Virginia will simply not implement Clean Car Standards. That is unacceptable. We need thousands and thousands of Virginians to speak up against this regressive action to ensure Governor Youngkin doesn’t get away with this.
 

ADD YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION TODAY!

Dear Governor Glenn Youngkin,

Transportation is the largest source of climate-warming air pollution in Virginia, making Advanced Clean Car Standards one of our most critical tools to fight climate change. Not only that, but pollution from cars is a major source of pollutants like fine particulate matter that cause serious and even deadly health issues. 

So why are you trying to roll back this vital climate policy?

This move will hurt the economy, sending EV jobs and investment to other states. And it will raise energy costs, keeping us reliant on volatile and harmful fossil fuels. Finally, it’s a blow to public health. The American Lung Association estimated that Virginia would save nearly $30 billion in healthcare costs and thousands of lives by transitioning to zero-emission vehicles like electric cars. But your move will make it much harder to address tailpipe pollution. 

Governor Youngkin, you are not above the law. You cannot simply ignore Virginia’s climate laws and sidestep Virginia’s legislative body. Your own Office of the Attorney General has agreed Virginia would need to pass or amend legislation to change course on Clean Cars. Virginia is not a corporate hedge fund and should not be run like one. 

This move is unacceptable. Virginia needs Clean Car Standards!

Signed,