The New York Times reported, “Democrats have agreed to include a tax on imports from nations that lack aggressive climate
change policies.” That’s known as a border carbon adjustment, and it’s one of the policy elements CCL has been advocating for over the last decade. The Washington Post also reports, “A central element in the plan would allow the United States to impose […] a fee on emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.”
Another inclusion in the budget resolution is a clean electricity standard (CES). As CCL Strategy Director Tony Sirna explained in a blog post earlier this year, a CES would basically require that a certain portion of electricity sold by utilities come from clean energy sources by a certain date. Axios reports that this inclusion is “aimed at meeting Biden’s goal of achieving 100% carbon-free power by 2035.” The reconciliation package being drafted now in Congress is the best shot we’ve had in a decade to enact a carbon price. This is likely the last, best chance for significant climate legislation before the 2022 elections. After those elections…well, who knows?
What we do know is we have a chance right now – if each of you takes this opportunity and acts. We know our climate can’t wait. Citizens Climate Lobby has launched a priority campaign for everyone to email and call their Member of the House. This blog will give you some context: It’s crunch time for climate policy. Go to cclusa.org/house to write and call your Representative. After that, please consider getting more people to do the same. We’ve been working and waiting for this moment in history for a long time — let’s do it with hope in our hearts and give it everything we’ve got!
By Carl Yaeckel, San Diego Chapter Leader, Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) and Linda Giannelli Pratt
