Biden administration sets national goal to cut freight emissions to zero

The Biden administration on Wednesday laid out a national goal to cut emissions from freight shipping down to zero. 

A White House fact sheet did not include a date for this goal, but it comes on top of existing goals to reach net-zero emissions for the the transportation sector, as well as the whole U.S. economy, by 2050. 

The administration also said that its strategy, announced in tandem with a Wednesday meeting with zero-emission freight, will seek to prioritize high-pollution areas. 

In addition, the administration announced that it would open up $1 billion to help cities, states and tribes replace heavy duty vehicles like school buses, garbage trucks and delivery trucks with electric or other climate-friendly options. The money comes from the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act.

Meanwhile, the White House fact sheet said that the Transportation Department was putting funding toward reducing grants to reduce truck emissions at ports. The fact sheet described this as the “first tranche” of a $400 million program, but did not say how much money was 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.