Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency
The Pew Campaign for Fuel Efficiency was created by the Pew Charitable Trusts to pressure Congress into raising fuel efficiency requirements (CAFE standards) for cars and trucks sold in the United States to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. For more than 30 years, other efforts to raise CAFE standards had been repeatedly scuttled by the powerful auto industry. Pew hired CLS in the summer of 2007 to help them capitalize on the “perfect storm” that was moving across the political landscape: concerns over national security and America’s policies in the Middle East, soaring prices at the gas pump and oil nearing $100 per barrel.
CLS worked with Pew to develop messages that moved beyond the traditional environmental arguments that had been used in the past and created advertising that strategically tapped the oil price and national security concerns of Americans while taking advantage of Detroit’s dwindling credibility and clout.
Effectively casting a broader communications net was essential in building and maintaining strong bipartisan support for the legislation.
But even with the “perfect storm” of issues, Congress was narrowly divided and obstructionism was easy. Standing in the way of legislation were the powerful auto lobby and their chief ally Rep. John Dingell, the most senior member of the House and Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Through a steady drumbeat of advertising, poll releases, field events in targeted states and Capitol Hill visits, Pew and CLS used smart, savvy and attention-grabbing tactics to influence the political and policy process and make the auto industry’s position increasingly untenable.
On December 19, 2007, President Bush signed the energy bill into law with the fuel efficiency standards championed by Pew and the Democratic leadership in both the Senate and House. The law is the first increase in CAFE standards since 1975, requiring new auto fleets to average 35 miles a gallon by 2020 – a 40 percent increase from the current 25-mile average. By 2020, the measure is projected to reduce U.S. oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a day, the equivalent of taking 28 million vehicles off the road.
