The Biden Admin urges government staff to use EVs, trains, and electric Uber or Lyft. This was announced by the White House on Thursday, Dec. 14, as part of its clean transportation transformation effort.
White House officials said that the latest guidance fulfills the promise of U.S. President Joe Biden, saying that it aims to "lead by example" when it comes to tackling climate change.
But can this new effort help reduce carbon emissions and tax spending? Americans need to know about the new environmental guidance for government employees.
Biden Admin Urges Govt Staff to Use EVs, Train, Electric Uber!
According to Fox News' latest report, the latest environmental guidance of the Biden Admin seeks to take advantage of the federal government's annual business travel purchasing power, which is estimated to be over $2 billion.
"The Administration is announcing new public and private commitments to boost access to electric vehicles (EVs), save taxpayer dollars, and tackle the climate crisis," said the White House via its official press release.
The Biden Administration said that the new Federal employee travel guidelines, which direct sustainable transportation for official and local travel, apply to domestic and international travel activities.
If this environmental effort is a success, it would be a big deal for the environment, given that American government employees are estimated to make over 2.3 million vehicle rentals, 33,000 rail trips, and more than 2.8 million flights.
"These operational changes will accelerate the clean transportation transformation, increase good-paying union jobs, and create healthier communities," said the Biden Admin.
The White House further stated that the latest guidance will help Joe Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan achieve its goal of reaching net-zer carbon emissions from overall federal operations by 2050. But first, the initiative needs to achieve its goal of reaching 65% emissions reduction by 2030.
Aside from this, the new eco-friendly travel guidance is also expected to save taxpayers money by urging Federal government workers to increase the use of electric cars and rely on other cost-effective actions on clean transportation linked with business travel.
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Order to US Government Employees
The Biden Admin's guidance states explicitly that Federal government workers should rent an EV on official travel when the electric car cost is cheaper or equal to the most affordable gas-powered vehicle counterpart available.
They are also urged to choose EVs when using taxis and ride-sharing platforms, especially when they are cost-competitive. Aside from these, government employees should also avoid driving or flying on trips that require less than 402 kilometers.
Instead, they must rely on rail for these trips. When it comes to local travel activities, they must use public transportation, which also applies upon arriving at an offsite location.
All these could be achieved since rental car and ride-share firms are also making efforts to help the Biden Admin. One is Hertz, which promised to increase EV rentals for corporate travelers as early as 2024.
Uber also pledged to expand its green curb at airports program so that riders can have perks whenever they travel in an eco-friendly way.
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