Environmental Defense Hails Landmark Vote on Lieberman-Warner Climate Change Bill
December 5, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Tony Kreindler, Environmental Defense, 202-210-5791 (cell) or 202-572-3378 (office)
(Washington – December 5, 2007) Environmental Defense today applauded the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s historic approval of bipartisan climate change legislation.
“This bill hits all the right notes — it would drive the reductions we need now and fuel American innovation. Finally, there’s a path to real action on global warming on the floor of the Senate,” said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense. “The authors and Chairman Boxer deserve credit for crafting a strong bill that can win support from both sides of the aisle.”
The bill was approved by a vote of 11 to 8, with Republican John Warner joining all committee Democrats and Independents Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders in voting to report the bill to the full Senate.
“We’re grateful that Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he will bring bipartisan climate legislation to the Senate floor. There is no time for delay,” Krupp added.
Waiting just two years to enact the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act or similar legislation would double the rate at which the U.S. will need to cut emissions – from just under 2% a year to more than 4.3% a year – in order to bring emissions down to where they need to be by 2020.
The Climate Security Act (S. 2191) would reduce emissions by almost 20 percent below current levels by 2020, largely through an emissions cap and trade system, putting the U.S. on a path that is consistent with the roughly 80 percent reductions scientists say we need by mid-century to avoid a dangerous climate tipping point. The strong short-term emissions goal is essential to deploying the technology we already have to combat climate change, and sparking the innovation and investment we will need for the long term.
A groundbreaking analysis released last week by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that the U.S. can cut its projected emissions by as much as a third to one-half by 2030 at little cost and without major new technology or lifestyle changes – provided we have the right policy incentives and start soon.
“We can meet bold targets with today’s technology and create the new jobs that will power our economy in the 21st century, we just need a smart national policy like cap and trade. We also need a quick start. The longer we wait, the faster those opportunities will slip away,” Krupp said.
The Climate Security Act’s cap and trade system is a time-tested approach to reducing pollution that sets a mandatory limit on emissions and frees companies to hunt for the lowest-cost reductions. Coupled with energy efficiency provisions in the bill, the cap will result in reductions greater than 60 percent below current levels by 2050. The bill also contains a “look back” provision requiring the National Academy of Sciences to periodically update Congress on the latest climate change science.
Other key provisions include: a system of carrots and sticks to prompt action from major emitting developing countries, a sensible approach to managing costs, and assistance workers and low-income consumers impacted by climate policy.
Environmental Defense will work to continue to strengthen the bill as it moves to the Senate floor, in particular to strengthen the long-term emissions reduction target and the scientific look-back provision.
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Environmental Defense, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 supporters. Since 1967, Environmental Defense has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.