"'Free-For-All' Used Car Export Threatens Climate Goals"

"Replacing gasoline cars with electric vehicles is a pillar of President Biden's strategy for tackling climate change. But even if the administration sets a deadline to sunset sales of gas-powered passenger vehicles, the export of used cars abroad could stall the global reductions needed to stave off catastrophic warming.

Every year, the United States ships hundreds of thousands of its oldest and dirtiest cars overseas to predominantly poor countries in a trade that is largely unregulated. In other words, cars that would fail safety, fuel economy and emissions standards in the United States or Europe are dominating the roads in countries that rely on imported vehicles.

In Kenya and Nigeria, for example, more than 90% of vehicles are foreign imports.

'The pollution and gas guzzling continue on even after the vehicle is removed from America's roads,' said Dan Becker, head of the safe climate transport campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'It's essentially a Cheshire cat issue.'"

Arianna Skibell reports for E&E News May 20, 2021.

Source: E&E News, 05/20/2021