U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration announced a notice of proposed rulemaking for states and municipalities to track greenhouse gas emissions.

The new ruling will establish two steps to combat climate change, according to a July 7 news release.  These steps are establishing a national framework to track progress by adding a new greenhouse gas performance management measure and creating a flexible system for states to set their own declining targets for on-road greenhouse gas emissions.

“With today’s announcement, we are taking an important step forward in tackling transportation’s share of the climate challenge, and we don’t have a moment to waste," Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in the release. "Our approach gives states the flexibility they need to set their own emission reduction targets, while providing them with resources from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to meet those targets and protect their communities.”

This initiative will be funded by the availability of more than $27 billion in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funds will go toward helping states' department of transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and meet their targets. 

“Every state and local government in this country is seeing the impacts of climate change on their communities and infrastructure," Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Stephanie Pollack said in the release. "States have a critical role to play as we work nationwide to bring down greenhouse gas emissions and slow those impacts. State laws already require 24 states and the District of Columbia to set targets and track their greenhouse gas emissions and this proposed rule would bring this locally proven approach to scale nationwide.”