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The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis indicates that reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through increased transportation choices could save the U.S. up to $201 billion in energy infrastructure and $5.9 trillion in vehicle ownership costs by 2050. The report contends that current car dependence is driven by industry lobbying from the auto, fossil fuel, and road-building sectors, which receive over 75 percent of transportation spending. UCS recommends investing in diverse transportation networks, applying equity and climate lenses to project prioritization, and making planning processes more democratic to benefit the 30 percent of Americans who do not drive.

As of June 2024, the U.S. has 12,164 committed electric school buses, with 67% funded by the EPA's Clean School Bus Program. Adoption is widespread across 49 states, with California leading in total numbers, while the Southeast has seen significant recent growth. The report finds that deployment is increasingly equitable, with a majority of buses now located in high-poverty districts and areas with high air pollution, though adult asthma rates show a more even distribution.

As of December 2022, there are 5,612 committed electric school buses in the US, a significant increase driven largely by the EPA's Clean School Bus Rebate Program. While California leads in total numbers, adoption has expanded to all 50 states and is increasingly concentrated in low-income and minority communities, though the report emphasizes the need for continued focus on equity and infrastructure support.

As of September 2022, there are 13,053 committed electric school buses in the US, spanning 483 school districts across 39 states. California leads adoption, and the largest funding source is California's Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Program. While adoption is high in areas with significant air pollution and among communities of color, the highest number of buses are concentrated in districts with the lowest percentages of low-income households.

As of June 2022, there were 12,720 committed electric school buses across 38 US states, representing approximately 2-3% of the national fleet. California leads adoption, and while deployment is high in communities of color and areas with high PM2.5 pollution, it remains lower in the lowest-income school districts.

As of August 2021, fewer than 1% of U.S. school buses are electric, with adoption heavily concentrated in California and suburban areas. While 33 states have committed to electric buses, the report emphasizes that targeted public funding is essential to ensure these benefits reach vulnerable communities and rural areas, which currently lag in deployment despite the health risks posed by diesel emissions to students.

As of March 2022, 12,275 electric school buses have been committed across 38 US states, with California leading in adoption. While a large portion of these commitments stem from a single 10,000-bus contract between Midwest Transit Equipment and SEA Electric, the report finds that adoption is trending toward historically underserved communities, particularly those with high PM2.5 pollution and high populations of non-white and/or Hispanic people.

As of December 2021, 1,828 electric school buses were committed across 36 US states, representing a 57% increase since June 2021. California is the primary leader in adoption, holding nearly half of all commitments. While adoption correlates with high median household income, it is more evenly distributed across different poverty levels. The report notes that the vast majority of the US school bus fleet (95%) still relies on diesel, and that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has allocated $5 billion over five years to accelerate the transition to lower-emission buses.

The report argues that the USDA has a "long and painful history of racism and discrimination" that has led to massive land loss for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian American farmers. To fulfill the mandates of Executive Order 13,985, the authors propose structural reforms including the creation of an Equity Action Plan, the establishment of an interagency task force, and the implementation of legislative set-asides for BIPOC groups. Key recommendations include increasing land access through subsidized sales and loans, improving protections for farmworkers against pesticide exposure and heat stress, and reforming the USDA's civil rights office to ensure prompt resolution of discrimination claims. The document also calls for reducing the funding of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) due to their disproportionate impact on communities of color and expanding eligibility for federal nutrition programs.

The document explores low- and zero-emissions zones (LEZs and ZEZs) as tools for cities to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It compares international examples from Europe and Singapore with a voluntary pilot in Santa Monica, California. A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to ensuring equity, arguing that ZEZs in California must be designed to avoid regressive financial burdens on low-income residents and people of color, who are disproportionately exposed to vehicle-related PM2.5 pollution. The authors recommend that California provide enabling legislation for cities to implement these zones and suggest targeting high-pollution sectors, such as heavy-duty freight, to maximize public health benefits in disadvantaged communities.

The report finds that baseline projections for oil, gas, and coal production are significantly higher than the levels required to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C. It highlights that the largest production increases are projected in the United States, Brazil, Iran, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. The analysis argues that a managed wind-down of production is necessary to avoid inequitable outcomes, as the projected production from high-income and low-dependence countries alone would exceed the 1.5°C-consistent global budget.

The document examines the limitations of current US federal EV tax credits, which primarily benefit high-income households, and proposes reforms such as point-of-sale rebates, used-EV incentives, and income-tiered programs to accelerate adoption among low- and moderate-income communities.

The report analyzes the potential impacts of automated vehicles (AVs) on the Washington, DC, metro area, arguing that the best outcomes for equity and environment occur when AVs are electric, pooled, and integrated with robust mass transit. Without such policies, AVs could increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by up to 66%, exacerbate congestion in low-income neighborhoods, and undermine public transit.

The document examines the tension between treating fossil fuel suppliers as polluters and recognizing extraction as a sovereign right for development. It argues that meeting Paris Agreement targets requires leaving a majority of proven reserves in the ground, which would disproportionately impact lower-income regions through the loss of significant resource rents.

The report examines the intersection of flood risk transparency and social equity in Canada, arguing that current practices in mapping, disclosure, and pricing often disproportionately disadvantage marginalized communities. It highlights gaps in map availability for rural and remote areas, ambiguities in real estate disclosure, and the risk of 'bluelining' or 'degentrification' where equity-deserving groups are trapped in high-risk areas due to financial constraints. The authors recommend accelerating co-developed flood mapping, standardizing disclosure requirements for rentals and real estate, and implementing affordability assessments in the forthcoming national public flood insurance program to support just climate adaptation.