September 28 , 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact
Milagros R. Elia
Program Manager, Climate and Clean Energy Advocacy
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
914.455.1165
Nurses Strongly Oppose final 2026 NHTSA Fuel Economy Rule (CAFE Standards)
[Washington, D.C.]- On September 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published a final rule to weaken fuel economy standards for light-duty vehicles for model years 2022-2026 and model years 2027- 2031, making this new 2031 standard less stringent than model year 2024, which automakers have already achieved.
In response to the proposal, the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments’ Executive Director Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN issued the following statement:
“Weakening fuel economy standards moves our nation in the wrong direction for public health. Less efficient vehicles mean greater fuel consumption and pollution across the transportation and fuel-production system, adding to the burden faced by communities already experiencing poor air quality and traffic-related pollution. NHTSA itself has previously stated that stronger CAFE standards reduce fuel use, transportation emissions, and air pollution and can benefit communities near heavily trafficked roadways.
“As health professionals, we are especially concerned about children, older adults, people with asthma and cardiovascular disease, and communities living near highways and other major transportation corridors, where additional pollution can compound existing health inequities. Strong fuel economy standards are more than an environmental safeguard, they are an important component of protecting health, reducing preventable illness, and limiting the economic burden that pollution-related disease places on families and our healthcare system.
“Nurses have a responsibility to advocate for policies that prevent harm before it reaches our patients, and we strongly oppose rolling back standards that help advance cleaner transportation, healthier communities, and a more sustainable future.”
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The Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments is the only national nursing organization focused solely on the intersection of health and the environment. The mission of the Alliance is to support nurses in promoting planetary health and equity globally by educating and leading the nursing profession, advancing research, incorporating planet-safe practice, and influencing policy.
