GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Gov. Roy Cooper has taken executive action to set more aggressive goals than he did in 2018 for greenhouse gas reductions and zero-emission vehicles in North Carolina.

Cooper signed an executive order on Friday at North Carolina A&T State University.

The order sets a statewide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% compared with 2005 levels by 2030. It also seeks to reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The order aims for 1.25 million registered zero-emission vehicles in the state by 2030.

"Transforming North Carolina toward a clean energy and more equitable economy will provide good jobs and a healthy environment for generations of families across our state," Cooper stated in a news release.

Critics of the governor say his environmental policies will raise the costs of electricity for residents and businesses. 

The goals laid out in Cooper's executive order don't have the force of law.