electric truck at charging station

Nonprofit pledges $250 million to electrify California’s port trucking fleet

Climate United and Forum Mobility announced a $250 million initiative to deploy 500 electric Class 8 trucks and charging stations to replace diesel vehicles at California’s ports, aiming to empower small trucking operators to transition to zero-emissions.

Jeff St. John reports for Canary Media.


In short:

  • Climate United’s program offers affordable financing and charging access for small operators allowing them to adopt electric trucks.
  • The Port of Long Beach has about 500 electric trucks and this program aims to double that number in California’s busiest ports.
  • The initiative aligns with California's goal of converting all port drayage trucks to zero emissions by 2035 improving air quality for nearby communities.

Key quote:

“We want to get small fleet owners into electric trucks. That’s really letting them lead this transition in a way that shows it’s feasible, so we can transition not just the tens of thousands of trucks in ports in California, but then take it across the country.”

— Beth Bafford, CEO of Climate United

Why this matters:

Diesel trucks serving California ports pollute heavily, especially impacting nearby low-income communities. Expanding electric truck fleets can reduce emissions, lower trucking costs and create a model for nationwide port fleet electrification.

Learn more: West Coast embraces electric big trucks, leading by example

Plastic treaty talks

Plastic treaty talks falter as nations clash over production limits

Global negotiations in South Korea aimed at curbing plastic pollution ended in deadlock as more than 170 countries failed to agree on whether to limit plastic production or focus solely on waste management.

Andrew Jeong reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
USDA sign

Trump’s USDA pick raises questions about handling climate crisis on farms

Brooke Rollins, a Trump loyalist and climate change skeptic, is nominated as Agriculture Secretary, leaving many uncertain about her approach to climate impacts on farms.

Georgina Gustin reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Hurricane Helene flooding aerial view
Credit: North Carolina National Guard/Flickr/U.S. Army National Guard photos by Sgt. 1st Class Leticia Samuels

Congress grapples with political hurdles in disaster aid negotiations

Lawmakers are struggling to pass disaster relief funding as partisan disagreements over additional allocations to education and environmental programs stall progress.

Rachel Frazin and Aris Folley report for The Hill.

Keep reading...Show less
pencil hovering over empty box next to Labour

Labour government reconsiders green policies as growth pressures mount

The U.K.'s Labour government is weighing adjustments to electric vehicle sales targets and other environmental goals as it prioritizes economic growth and political stability.

Charlie Cooper reports for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
oil drilling rig

Maine accuses oil companies of misleading the public on climate impact

Maine has sued major oil companies, alleging they concealed the environmental risks of fossil fuels for decades, contributing to climate change and the state's rising costs for adaptation and recovery.

Karen Zraick reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
power plant at night

CEO’s political alliances shape natural gas future but may raise costs for consumers

EQT CEO Toby Rice has become a leading advocate for expanding U.S. natural gas exports, leveraging political connections and corporate lobbying to push for deregulation and infrastructure growth that could impact domestic energy prices.

Quinn Glabicki reports for PublicSource.

Keep reading...Show less
woman holding sign that says # People Not Profit

How to cool the climate conversation without the culture wars

Polarized politics over energy-efficient appliances and clean technology hinder meaningful climate solutions, but some experts suggest depoliticized dialogue can bridge divides.

Kate Yoder reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Resident speaks at an event about the Midwest hydrogen hub organized by Just Transition NWI.

What a Trump administration means for the federal hydrogen energy push

Legal and industry experts say there are uncertainties about the future of hydrogen hubs, a cornerstone of the Biden administration’s clean energy push.

unions climate justice

Op-ed: The common ground between labor and climate justice is the key to a livable future

The tale of “jobs versus the environment” does not capture the full story.

Union workers from SEIU holding climate protest signs at a rally in Washington DC

El terreno común entre los derechos laborales y la justicia climática es la clave de un futuro habitable

La narrativa de “empleos vs. proteger el medio ambiente” no cuenta la historia completa.

unions and labor movement

LISTEN: Pradnya Garud on the role of unions in climate justice

“They’ve been able to combine forces and really come forward to bring social and environmental change.”

People advocating against the US hydrogen hub build out

Hydrogen hubs test new federal environmental justice rules

A massive push for hydrogen energy is one of the first test cases of new federal environmental justice initiatives. Communities and advocates so far give the feds a failing grade.

photos of people protesting the hydrogen hub buildout

What’s hampering federal environmental justice efforts in the hydrogen hub build-out?

“Organizational change in large bureaucracies takes time.”

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.