KATHMANDU: US President Donald Trump has removed federal vehicle emission standards, easing rules on how much pollution cars and trucks are allowed to produce.
According to Reuters, the decision includes scrapping the earlier “endangerment finding,” which said greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles could harm public health. This finding had been the main legal basis for setting carbon emission limits under US law.
While announcing the move, Trump said the rule, introduced during the Obama administration, had hurt the American auto industry and increased vehicle prices for buyers. He stated that ending it would help manufacturers and consumers.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the earlier interpretation of clean air laws was not aligned with their original purpose. The agency explained that the laws were mainly meant to control pollutants that directly affect people at the local or regional level.
With this change, automakers in the US may face fewer restrictions on tailpipe emissions. Experts say this could slow the push towards stricter fuel efficiency standards and electric vehicle adoption.
Earlier, Trump had also withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement and ended several incentives aimed at supporting electric vehicles and renewable energy.
The decision marks a clear shift in US auto and climate policy, and it could influence how the country approaches future environmental regulations.
