All new cars in the EU will be zero-emission by 2035. Here's where the U.S. stands

European Union member states gave final approval Tuesday to a plan that would require all new cars sold in the EU to be zero-emission vehicles starting in the year 2035.

It’s part of the EU’s plan to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and more ambitious than similar efforts in the U.S. A quarter of the bloc’s emissions come from the transportation sector, and 70% of that is road traffic.

“The direction of travel is clear: in 2035, new cars and vans must have zero emissions,” European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans said in a statement.