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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Obama 'to act over car emissions' | Obama 'to act over car emissions' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| US President Barack Obama is expected to allow states to set their own stricter standards for vehicle exhaust emissions, his aides have said. | US President Barack Obama is expected to allow states to set their own stricter standards for vehicle exhaust emissions, his aides have said. |
| It would overturn a Bush administration decision which favoured a national standard for vehicle pollution. | It would overturn a Bush administration decision which favoured a national standard for vehicle pollution. |
| California, a leader in environmental protection, and other states had sought exemptions to set their own standards. | California, a leader in environmental protection, and other states had sought exemptions to set their own standards. |
| Mr Obama is also expected to set new rules for carmakers to improve their products' fuel efficiency. | Mr Obama is also expected to set new rules for carmakers to improve their products' fuel efficiency. |
| Energy efficiency drive | Energy efficiency drive |
| Mr Obama is preparing to order the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin work on granting California and 13 other states an exemption from the federal Clear Air Act. | |
| This would allow them to set their own standards on exhaust emissions and fuel efficiency, US media has reported aides to President Obama as saying. | |
| California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had asked Mr Obama to reverse the Bush administration's insistence on a single, national standard. | California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had asked Mr Obama to reverse the Bush administration's insistence on a single, national standard. |
| California wants a 30% reduction in motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions by 2016, achieved by improving fuel efficiency standards. | |
| President Obama is also expected to order the transportation department to come up with new short-term rules on how carmakers can improve fuel efficiency. | President Obama is also expected to order the transportation department to come up with new short-term rules on how carmakers can improve fuel efficiency. |
| A 2007 law required that new cars and trucks produced by 2020 obtain 35 miles per gallon of fuel (about 13km/litre), a 40% increase over the current standard, Associated Press news agency said. | A 2007 law required that new cars and trucks produced by 2020 obtain 35 miles per gallon of fuel (about 13km/litre), a 40% increase over the current standard, Associated Press news agency said. |
| Deadline change | |
| However, Mr Bush did not put in place the regulations to enable the law to be carried out. | However, Mr Bush did not put in place the regulations to enable the law to be carried out. |
| The new rules Mr Obama wants put in place would mean the new standard is reached by 2011, the New York Times said. | The new rules Mr Obama wants put in place would mean the new standard is reached by 2011, the New York Times said. |
| The president is also expected to announce plans to make all federal government buildings more energy efficient. | The president is also expected to announce plans to make all federal government buildings more energy efficient. |
| The moves would fulfil a campaign pledge of Mr Obama's to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and to invest more in renewable energy sources. | The moves would fulfil a campaign pledge of Mr Obama's to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and to invest more in renewable energy sources. |
| In the European Union, a recently agreed climate package set out average emission targets for the whole car industry of 120g of CO2 per kilometre by 2012 for new cars, compared with current levels of 160g/km. | |
| The EU target for 2020 is 95g/km. But CO2 emissions vary from car to car, and manufacturers have been given until 2015 to meet their specific targets for each model. |