|
Dear Colleague,
In 2021, climate came back front and center in the policy discussion in Washington. We saw Republicans establish the Conservative Climate Caucus, while Democrats pursued their climate ambitions through reconciliation.
Despite greater focus by policymakers, significant work remains towards unlocking meaningful policy breakthroughs. We remain optimistic that we will get there. Here are the five milestones and accomplishments that make us most hopeful for continued progress in the coming year:
1. Carbon pricing returns to center stage, draws bipartisan support. Sen. Mitt Romney, R.-Utah, said he was “very, very open” to a carbon dividends policy, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R.- Alaska, noted that a carbon fee needed bipartisan support to have the most impact. Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D.-Ore., alongside several other committee members, put their weight behind a carbon fee paired with a dividend and border carbon adjustment (BCA).
2. Border adjustments gain traction. BCAs are now under consideration in leading economies. In the U.S., they were the subject of a front-page article in The Wall Street Journal that relied heavily on the Council’s research. Lawmakers from both parties--including Romney and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D.- R.I.,--publicly discussed America’s carbon advantage and how a BCA would benefit efficient U.S. manufacturers. And the Council bolstered the case for this climate tool in a new report, “Don’t Believe the Hype: A BCA Is Doable (and We’re Doing Most of It Already).”
3. First ever climate and trade deal. The Biden administration and European Union announced they would collaborate on a global deal to discourage high-emissions steel and aluminum imports. The move followed the Council’s release of first-of-its-kind research on the U.S. steel industry’s carbon advantage in May.
4. CEOs meet with senators on carbon dividends. The Council organized meetings with 18 U.S. senators and the CEOs and top executives of our Founding Members. The CEOs enumerated the benefits of the policy, including its potential to cut CO2 emissions in half by 2035 and substantially reduce other air pollutants, as highlighted in the Council’s April report, Meeting the Climate Challenge. After our meeting, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin, D.-Ill., issued a statement on his desire to work with the Council on an economy-wide carbon fee, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R.-S.C., spoke favorably about the dividend in a hearing.
5. Council launches event series in honor of our late founder. The Council and New America co-hosted the inaugural event of the Ted Halstead Climate Conversation Series. More than 400 people tuned into a discussion with former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, former Governor Christie Todd Whitman and former Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz and watched this film about Ted’s life and work.
As we look ahead to 2022, we feel more confident than ever that the carbon dividends policy remains the most promising path forward for uniting both parties behind lasting and meaningful climate progress.
We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year.
The Climate Leadership Council team
| 
