Maine’s Board of Environmental Protection is scheduled to vote Thursday on updated tailpipe emission standards for new cars and trucks sold in the state. The board should support the tougher standards, which hold the promise of reducing global-warming-causing pollution from cars and trucks by 30 percent over the next decade.

No doubt the board recognizes that automobiles account for about 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions here. Five other states – California, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington – have already adopted the standards. Maine should join the effort.

Maine has a good record of progress on vehicle emissions. The state enacted California’s low-emission vehicle program years ago. The program allows states to set standards stricter than federal levels as long as they are consistent with California’s and give automakers two years to come into compliance.

Those standards have reduced the amount of toxins in the air, but do not regulate the emissions that contribute to global climate change. BEP has a chance this week to change that.

The technology to meet the standards, which would apply to light- and medium-duty trucks and passenger cars, already exists and is common in many types of vehicles. There’s little or no cost to car buyers.

The BEP has a chance to move the state forward on pollution control. It should support the new emission standards.