The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a national goal to eliminate emissions from freight shipping.
A White House fact sheet did not specify a date for this goal, but it adds to existing goals to achieve net-zero emissions for the transportation sector and the entire U.S. economy by 2050.
The administration also stated that its plan, revealed alongside a Wednesday meeting on zero-emission freight, will prioritize high-pollution areas.
Furthermore, the administration revealed that it will allocate $1 billion to help cities, states, and tribes replace heavy duty vehicles such as school buses, garbage trucks, and delivery trucks with electric or other environmentally friendly options. The funds come from the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.
Meanwhile, the White House fact sheet mentioned that the Transportation Department is providing funding to reduce truck emissions at ports. The fact sheet referred to this as the “first tranche” of a $400 million program, but did not specify the amount in this tranche.
The announcements follow the announcement last month of a Biden administration strategy to put charging infrastructure for electric freight trucks in high-traffic corridors.