U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization

The U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization (Blueprint) is a landmark strategy for cutting all greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 2050. The Blueprint was developed by the EPA, along with Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It exemplifies a whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis and will help reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Blueprint lays the groundwork for us to build a safer and more sustainable transportation system. The Blueprint was made possible by a historic Memorandum of Understanding (pdf) (494 KB) established between EPA, DOE, DOT, and HUD to coordinate on policy and accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment needed for innovative solutions and technologies that enable a clean, safe, accessible, equitable, and decarbonized transportation system for all.

The transportation sector—which includes all modes of travel through land, air, and sea to move people and goods—accounts for a third of all domestic greenhouse gas emissions, negatively affecting the health and well-being of millions of Americans, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. A well-planned transition to a decarbonized transportation system can address these and other inequities and provide equitable, affordable, and accessible options for moving people and goods.

The Blueprint provides a comprehensive, system-level perspective of the entire transportation system across all passenger and freight travel modes and fuels, and lays out three key strategies to achieve decarbonization:

1. Increase convenience by supporting community design and land-use planning at the local and regional levels that ensure that job centers, shopping, schools, entertainment, and essential services are strategically located near where people live to reduce commute burdens, improve walkability and bikeability, and improve quality of life.
2. Improve efficiency by expanding affordable, accessible, efficient, and reliable options like public transportation and rail, and improving the efficiency of all vehicles.
3. Transition to clean options by deploying zero-emission vehicles and fuels for cars, commercial trucks, transit, boats, airplanes, and more.

The Blueprint is intended to be a resource for the many stakeholders across the transportation industry. As a first step, EPA, DOE, DOT, and HUD developed modal action plans for energy and emissions innovation that will guide parties across the transportation industry towards a cleaner stronger transportation sector.