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California set to introduce Global Warming Label |
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The state's environmental agency has proposed a Greenhouse Gas Label to appear on new vehicles, starting from late 2008. It has now opened a public comment period to receive input on this issue.
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2007-05-10
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The new label to appear on all passenger cars and medium-duty vehicles sold in California on or after October 2008 would provide vehicle emissions information to consumers, thereby helping them to make environmentally sustainable choices. Following a 2005 amendment to the Health & Safety Code, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is now working on the actual design and content of such a label aimed at raising public awareness to the impact of vehicles on the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
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The Greenhouse Gas Label will be added to the existing Smog Label that has indicated smog-forming substances since 1998. CARB's first proposals foresee a simple scoring system based on a 1-10 scale that clearly indicates the environmental performance of each model according to the Californian GHG emission standards. They come at a time when several studies had found consumers to favour an easy to understand and consistent environmental information applicable across the country and all vehicles classes.
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No federal standard available
California can not rely on existing regulations as there are no federal smog or GHG emissions label requirements for cars in place. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a similar scale on its Green Vehicle Guide website GHG labelling on vehicles has remained voluntary in the United States so far.
Next steps
After having received public comments by 20 June latest, CARB will hold a public hearing on 21 June to work on the adoption and implementation of the GHG label.
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More information:
 Notice of Public Hearing 21 June, 2007 (112 KB)
› AB 1229 – Global Warming Index Label, 2005
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