Since 1 January, every new car built for sale in California must carry an “Environmental Performance Label” clearly ranking a vehicle's environmental impact, including emissions from the air conditioning refrigerant. The State's initatives can serve as example to implement “green” initiatives at the national level.
From 1 January on, every 2009 model year and newer car sold in California must display a new “Environmental Performance (EP) Label” showing a vehicle’s impact on smog and global warming. The label, affixed to the window of every new car, uses a simple ranking system to help consumers choose the most environmentally friendly car that still meets their transportation needs. It consists of two scores on a scale of 1 to 10, a Smog Score and a Global Warming Score. The higher the score, the more environmentally friendly the vehicle is. To support drivers in their choice of the best vehicle within a certain model class, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has launched a new website, DriveClean.ca.gov. The information tool compares models and recommends clean vehicle option to new car buyers.
The sticker’s newly added Global Warming Score is based on the sum of a car’s greenhouse gas emissions. Besides measuring nitrous oxide, methane and carbon dioxide from vehicle operation and fuel production, it will also take into account emissions arising from the Mobile Air Conditioning refrigerant, in most cases still HFC-134a.
Industry experts estimate that the model may soon be followed by other U.S. States, as has been experienced with other California environmental laws in the past. It may also form the basis of future emissions-based taxation currently under discussion in the state.
California's influence at national level grows
Initiatives, such as the EP label, a stringent car emissions law or restrictions on high global warming refrigerants, may soon serve as a role model for legislation introduced at the federal level. Taking pivotal roles in the new Congress and White House, a wave of California Democrats will give the U.S. State an outsize influence over federal policy, thereby increasing the likelihood that major parts of its activist and progressive environmental legislation will be imported to Washington. In the Congress, California Democrats are in key positions to write laws to mitigate global warming, promote “green” industries and alternative energy, and crack down on chemicals. The most prominent member of the California delegation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been firm about her intention to bring climate change legislation embraced by California to the national level. With her quiet support Californian colleague Republican Henry A. Waxman took over from John D. Dingell as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee late 2008. This was seen as a change of course in dealing with the U.S. automotive industry which interests had been protected by Dingell in a majority of cases.
Background
Since 1978, California’s Smog Index Label has helped consumers assess the relative smog emissions from new cars. In 2005, Assembly Bill 1229 was signed into law to create a more user-friendly scoring system for determining the Smog Score. The most recent amendments also added the Global Warming Score to more realistically reflect a vehicle’s overall environmental impact.
