Landmark Climate Commitment Act Clears Washington State House

(Olympia, WA – April 23, 2021) Today, the Washington House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 5126, the Climate Commitment Act, which will next return to the Senate for a concurrence vote. The legislation would create a cap-and-invest program – through a binding limit across all major sectors of the economy – and will aggressively slash carbon emissions giving Washington a powerful tool to meet the state’s 2030, 2040 and 2050 goals. The bill includes crucial and innovative measures designed to reduce local pollution in historically overburdened communities alongside greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Climate Commitment Act sets a new gold standard for other states across the nation to follow by tackling both carbon pollution and air pollution. This landmark bill would slash emissions at the pace and scale necessary to curb the worst impacts of climate change, while driving down damaging air pollution that disproportionately burdens many low-income communities and communities of color.

“The race to beat the climate crisis demands urgent action to cut emissions at every level. As the Biden administration reasserts climate leadership on the global stage, Washington state’s leaders are matching that ambition with bold policy that drives real, immediate progress.

“These elected officials recognize that pivoting toward a clean energy future is not only the right way to protect their children and grandchildren – it’s the right move for Washington’s economy right now. Charting this ambitious path on climate will help Washington state capture the clean energy jobs and industries that all states will be competing for.

“We urge the Senate and House to work together on a swift concurrence vote to move the Climate Commitment Act to Governor Inslee’s desk.”

• Katelyn Roedner Sutter, Senior Manager for U.S. Climate