The Biden-Harris Administration issued the United States National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization. The Blueprint, developed by the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency, is a game-changing strategy for reducing all greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 2050. It exemplifies the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis and meeting President Biden’s goals of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and securing a 100% clean electrical grid by 2035. The Blueprint builds on President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, which represent historic investments in our country’s future, transforming how we move and live while laying the groundwork for a safer and more sustainable transportation system.
“The domestic transportation sector presents an enormous opportunity to drastically reduce emissions that accelerate climate change and reduce harmful pollution,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE is prepared to implement this Blueprint alongside our partners within the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure all Americans feel the benefits of the clean transportation transition: good-paying manufacturing jobs, better air quality, and lower transportation costs.”
The transportation sector—which includes all modes of travel by land, air, and sea to move people and goods—is responsible for one-third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions, negatively impacting the health and well-being of millions of Americans, particularly those in low-income communities. In addition, transportation costs are the second largest annual household expense in our country, and the financial burden of transportation is disproportionately and unsustainably high for the poorest Americans.
A well-planned transition to a low-carbon transportation system can address these inequities while providing equitable, affordable, and accessible options for moving people and goods. In addition, continued development and deployment of clean-energy technologies such as electric vehicles, hydrogen, and sustainable fuels, as well as the supporting infrastructure for clean transportation, will create good-paying jobs in all segments of the transportation sector while strengthening America’s energy independence.
The Blueprint is an important step in the ongoing collaboration between DOE, DOT, EPA, HUD, and stakeholders. It will be followed by more detailed sector-specific action plans to create a comprehensive suite of strategies for achieving an improved and sustainable transportation future. Learn more about the Memorandum of Understanding and Blueprint.