US proposes new standards to cut down on pollution

The US government proposed new standards aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the department of transportation on Friday said in a joint statement that the proposed standards would require up to 24 percent lower carbon emissions by 2027.

The new rules would apply to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks, vans, and all types and sizes of buses and work trucks built for model years 2021-2027, Xinhua reported

"The proposed standards are expected to lower CO2 emissions by approximately 1 billion metric tonnes, cut fuel costs by about $170 billion, and reduce oil consumption by up to 1.8 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the programme," it added.

Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles currently account for about 20 percent of GHG emissions and oil use in the US transportation sector and comprise about five percent of vehicles on the road.