Ottawa’s Next Test: Responding to U.S. EPA’s Rollback of GHG Rules

By Media On the Road | August 2025

Source: Canadian Trucking Alliance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially proposed the repeal of the 2009 Endangerment Finding, which grants it authority to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As part of this action, Phase 3 GHG rules for heavy-duty trucks and multi-pollutant standards for light-duty vehicles may be scrapped by fall.

This move places the Canadian government at a crossroads.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is urging Ottawa to think twice before diverging from the U.S. approach. The Alliance says Canada’s supply chain realities and operational needs don’t currently align with rigid zero-emission mandates.

A white paper prepared by environmental organization Pollution Probe — commissioned by the CTA — underscores this view, stressing that Canada’s trucking sector faces technological and economic challenges in decarbonizing.

To their credit, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has opened the door to discussions with CTA, recognizing the importance of practical dialogue in adapting the Phase III GHG regulations.

“If the Carney Government is serious about boosting productivity and growth,” says CTA President Stephen Laskowski, “it must leave behind environmental politics and collaborate with truck OEMs and fleets affected by these changes.”

Phase II GHG rules have already proven burdensome for vocational fleets — key players in national infrastructure projects. The concern is that Phase III could repeat past regulatory missteps and disrupt long-haul trucking as well.

The CTA is not advocating for abandoning climate goals altogether. Rather, it calls for a balanced regulatory path that respects environmental needs and industry realities — potentially through alternative fuels or transitional technologies.

The Alliance will continue working with U.S. industry partners to maintain a consistent and coherent message as this issue unfolds.