Ticker: California moves to phase out diesel trucks; EU ends standoff over Ukraine farm glut

New big rigs and buses that run on diesel would not be sold in California starting in 2036, according to new rules approved by state regulators to wean the state off fossil fuels and combat climate change.

The rule would tackle pollution from heavy trucks used to transport goods through ports and require companies to disclose their use of these so-called drayage trucks by 2024.

The rule cannot be implemented without approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

But it’s related to standards the Biden administration already approved last month to phase out diesel-powered box trucks, semitrailers and large passenger pick-ups. If the EPA approves California’s rule, other states could later adopt the same standards.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom touted Friday’s move as a chance to show “the world what real climate action looks like.”

“We’re one step closer to achieving healthier neighborhoods and cleaner air for all Californians,” he said in a statement.

EU ends standoff over Ukraine farm glut

Ukraine on Saturday welcomed the European Union’s hard-fought deal to keep farm exports flowing into and through the bloc to world markets, saying that the Middle East and Africa would specifically stand to benefit from it.

Late Friday, the 27-nation EU ended a damaging internal standoff over a destabilizing glut of Ukraine farm imports by granting five eastern member countries the right to temporarily ban the most problematic produce while allowing all farm products to transit onward.

Resolving the issue allows the EU to maintain a unified stance in the face of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor. “We welcome that we resolved this issue,” Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko said at a meeting of EU finance ministers in Stockholm.