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July 9, 2024

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House PROVE IT Act Introduction Discussed at Council Event

Reps. Curtis and Peters Announce Legislation to Prove America’s Carbon Advantage

Washington, DC – U.S. Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Scott Peters (D-CA) joined a Climate Leadership Council event on Capitol Hill today to speak about this morning’s introduction of the bipartisan “Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act.” The PROVE IT Act would further demonstrate what research from the Council has shown: American manufacturers create goods with fewer emissions than most anywhere else in the world. Its introduction in the House of Representatives is an important step towards providing lawmakers with a dataset that will inform better policies for reducing global emissions and supporting lower emitting U.S. manufacturers.  

Representative Curtis explained his interest in the bill, stating, “I believe that the United States has a huge advantage over other countries in the way that we manufacture. And that is by way of innovation, and I believe we will see from study that American industries can and should be very proud of our record and what we’re doing. At the same time, I think that it’ll point out where we can be better, and I don’t think we should be afraid of that. I think we should take that as a challenge.”

Representative Peters added, “It benefits American businesses […] the government is in trade negotiations with other countries, countries who put a price on carbon. They’re going to demand to know what we’re doing, and we want a fair fight. So, to protect ourselves, and to protect American businesses is the point of this bill.”

The event featured Reps. Curtis and Peters in conversation with Council CEO Greg Bertelsen. 

Takeaways from the discussion include:

• Data from the PROVE IT Act has the potential to protect and advance U.S. investments in lower-emissions manufacturing. 
• It can serve as a tool to help encourage global emissions reductions among our trading partners. With data in hand, U.S. trade negotiators can better support the interests and competitiveness of American businesses and workers.  
• The PROVE IT Act can support faster permitting of new manufacturing and critical infrastructure projects by demonstrating the net emissions benefits of U.S. investments. 

“Building off momentum in the Senate, the House introduction of the PROVE IT Act presents an important bipartisan opportunity for the U.S. to demonstrate its environmental leadership. This legislation stands as the most extensive initiative by the U.S. government to accurately gauge the carbon efficiency of industries across the globe’s major economies. By gaining a better understanding of this data, we can expand on the Council’s research efforts to prove that American manufacturers are among the cleanest, most innovative in the world […] The Council supports the PROVE IT Act and appreciates the leadership demonstrated by Representatives John Curtis, Scott Peters, and all their cosponsors,” said Council CEO Greg Bertelsen in a statement earlier today. 

About the PROVE IT Act:

The PROVE IT Act directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to study and report the average emissions intensity of production in 17 different product categories in the United States compared to other major economies. The DOE would be required to complete its first study within two years of enactment and update the data every five years thereafter. The House version of the PROVE IT Act is led by Representatives John Curtis (R-UT) and Scott Peters (D-CA) and is endorsed by nearly 20 other bipartisan members. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) originally co-sponsored a Senate version of the PROVE IT Act last year. In introducing the bill, they cited the Climate Leadership Council’s research on America’s Carbon Advantage, which has helped motivate interest for the PROVE IT Act on Capitol Hill. The PROVE IT Act is supported by a diverse coalition from across the environmental, business, and manufacturing communities.

The Climate Leadership Council works with a broad set of stakeholders to promote the most cost-effective, equitable and politically viable climate solutions.