WASHINGTON – Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum today unveiled a white paper, “Weighing Transportation Alternatives for Reducing Emissions – Light Duty Vehicles,” authored by CRES Forum Senior Policy Fellow George David Banks, R Street Institute Resident Senior Fellow Philip Rossetti, and Harvard Law School Research Fellow Ashley Nunes. The paper highlights an all-of-the-above strategy to reducing emissions in the transportation sector and outlines policy recommendations for emissions-reducing alternatives to an electric vehicle (EV)-only approach.
“Decarbonizing the transportation sector both here in the United States and around the world requires a comprehensive strategy that goes beyond simply replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric ones,” said CRES Forum President Heather Reams. “An EV-only approach drives us towards greater reliance on Chinese supply chains and their carbon intensive manufacturing – a threat to both our national security and environment. Instead of relying on sourcing critical minerals from countries with poor human rights and environmental records, our focus should be on advancing ‘all-of-the-above’ policy solutions, as outlined in this paper, which are key to hitting the throttle for cleaner transportation.”
“Policymakers must accept that there are constraints to their preferred political outcomes, and instead pursue policies that reward emission mitigation in an agnostic manner.” – Weighing Transportation Alternatives for Reducing Emissions
The authors’ analysis details how policies hinging on vehicle electrification overlooks potential restraints, from critical mineral scarcity to inadequate charging access or infrastructure, which remain as barriers to simply replacing all internal combustion engines with EVs. Rather than putting in place in specific mandates and subsidies that stifle innovation and increase our reliance on Chinese supply chains, the authors argue policies aiming for a zero-emissions transportation sector must consider approaches that reward vehicle emission abatement, embrace alternative fuel types, and expand use of carbon capture technologies.
Click here to read the full white paper.