Washington, DC - The Biden administration has allowed California to introduce and enforce strict standards and rules on vehicle emissions, including a ban on new gas-powered car sales by 2035.

The new emissions standards required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant waivers which would allow the state to enforce emission rules, and set a precedent for other states to follow suit.

California's new regulations enforce emissions requirements that go beyond regulations introduced by the EPA in the Clean Air Act, hence the need for the agency to issue waivers.

"California has longstanding authority to request waivers from EPA to protect its residents from dangerous air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks," EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a Wednesday statement.

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"Today’s actions follow through on EPA’s commitment to partner with states to reduce emissions and act on the threat of climate change," he added.

The Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulations introduce a range of requirements for light and medium-duty on-road vehicles produced between 2026 and 2035.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) "projects that the ACC II program will reduce smog and soot-causing pollutants... as well as reduce greenhouse gases and toxic air pollutants," the EPA statement confirms.

The CARB justifies the legislation on health and environmental grounds, saying, "The regulations will substantially reduce air pollutants that threaten public health and cause climate change."

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According to the CARB, ACC II will "provide public health benefits of at least $12 billion over the life of the regulations by reducing premature deaths, hospitalizations and lost workdays associated with exposure to air pollution."

President-elect Donald Trump has opposed the ACC II and other emission reduction legislation, and has vowed to undo climate policies introduced under the outgoing Biden administration.

Californian lawmakers, including Governor Gavin Newsom, have vowed to fight any rollbacks introduced by the incoming Trump administration, including through legal action.

"We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California," Newsom has said.