Capitol Hotline (Oct. 5)
Senate bill introduced by Boxer and Kerry, EPA proposes regulation of GHG emitters, Bangkok update, One thousand mayors signed climate pledge, Apple quits Chamber and Nike resigns from board, Washington Post launches climate section on website, local and state leaders urge climate action
The Senate put the wheels in motion on climate legislation last week, introducing a bill that sets more aggressive pollution reduction target than the House version. Visit the USCAN website for the full text of the bill, as well as summaries, an overview, statements and NGO reactions to the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.
In this issue
- Hot Topic of the Week:
o Boxer, Kerry Restart Climate, Energy Debate With New Senate Bill
- Advocacy
o USCAN Washington, DC Advocacy Days are October 21-22
- Inside the Beltway
o EPA Proposes Regulation of Major GHG Emitters
- Outside the Beltway
o Small, But Critical Steps Forward at United Nations Climate Talks in Bangkok
o One Thousand Mayors Agree on Need for Action
o Apple Quits U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Nike Resigns from Board
o Washington Post Launches Special Section for Climate Change Coverage
o Local, State Government Leaders from Around World Urge Climate Action
- Other Headlines
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Hot Topic of the Week
Boxer, Kerry Restart Climate, Energy Debate With New Senate Bill
Democratic Senators Barbara Boxer (CA) and John Kerry (MA) introduced the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act last Wednesday, 821-page legislation aimed to reduce carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by mid-century. President Obama hailed the Senate proposal, saying his administration is "deeply committed to passing a bill that creates new American jobs and the clean energy incentives that foster innovation." The bill includes significant public investment in clean energy research, as well as provisions to generate electricity from natural gas and nuclear power and support carbon capture and storage research (read summary). The Senate bill calls for a 20 percent emissions cut by 2020, a more aggressive reduction than the House-passed bill's 17 percent and President Obama's call for a 14 percent cut.
The initial proposal omits details on a number of key areas, including how to divide up potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in credits to help industries comply with the new cap-and-trade program, protect consumers and others needs from the allocation of pollution allowances. Trade protection provisions, an area of particular interest to Midwestern Democrats, is another area left to solidify. The bill is expected to navigate through six committee markups before going to a floor vote.
Learn more and read USCAN member reactions to the bill at the USCAN website.
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Advocacy
USCAN Washington, DC Advocacy Days are October 21-22
USCAN has extended the deadline for applying for funds to come to Washington DC October 21 and 22nd to meet with Senators. These funds are intended for use by our member organizations, their partners, and key constituents. To participate in this fly-in, please fill out the attached application, which also contains more information, by this Wednesday October 7 (instead of Sept 30). Applications will be accepted on a first come first serve basis with preference for people coming from target states and from organizations without a presence in Washington DC. For more information, contact jkurz@climatenetwork.org.
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Inside the Beltway
EPA Proposes Regulation of Major GHG Emitters
Last Wednesday, the EPA announced a proposed rule that would require industrial facilities emitting greater than 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year to demonstrate the use of best available control technologies and energy efficiency measures to limit the emission of greenhouse gases. These regulations will be applied to those large facilities that are under new construction or significant modification. At the proposed threshold, regulation would cover the largest power plants, refineries, and other factories that account for nearly 70 percent of U.S. emissions. Smaller sources of emissions such as dry cleaners, hospitals, and farms would be exempt under this rule. Read more at the New York Times
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Outside the Beltway
Small, But Critical Steps Forward at United Nations Climate Talks in Bangkok
Climate negotiations in Bangkok entered their second and final week today. Delegates have now begun working through draft negotiating text which had ballooned to 180 pages during previous negotiations. Negotiators seem to be nearing consensus on how to reduce emissions from deforestation in developing countries, while progress on financing sustainable growth in developing countries still lags behind. Two small but important signs of progress have developed recently: first, delegates may agree with a U.S. proposal for funding for developing countries to be managed by the World Bank, but have disbursement of those funds be guided by representatives accountable to a global climate treaty. Second, in an effort to reduce the number of cheap offsets from developing countries, the EU, New Zealand, and Australia have suggested that developing countries should take some level of action before they can sell their offsets to developed countries. This would allow developing countries to invest in the most affordable offsets, while developed countries would have more incentive to reduce emissions at home.
Today, China and 130 developing countries asserted that the United States is attempting to “sabotage” a climate treaty by fundamentally changing the Kyoto Protocol. Obama administration is reportedly exploring a shift from seeking a legally binding world agreement to one where individual countries pledge cuts in their national emissions without binding timetables and targets. Only ten days of formal climate negotiations remain before the climate summit in Copenhagen this December. Read more at Reuters
One Thousand Mayors Agree on Need for Action
The U.S. Conference of Mayors announced last week that 1,000 mayors have signed their Climate Protection Agreement. The pact was introduced in 2005, and now represents over 85 million Americans. Signatories commit their communities to meet the Kyoto Protocol target of 7 percent emissions reduction from 1990 levels by 2012, and to urge state and federal lawmakers to enact legislation to reduce national emissions by a similar amount. Numerous cities have lived up to the pledge, with Seattle reaching an 8 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2005, and Los Angeles reaching a 7 percent reduction in 2008. Read more at the Los Angeles Times
Apple Quits U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Nike Resigns from Board
In another blow to U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its anti-climate legislation stance, Apple announced that the company has resigned its membership because "the Chamber's position differs so sharply with Apple's" on addressing climate change. Last week Nike announced on their resignation from the Chamber’s board, citing their “fundamental disagreement” with the Chamber on the issue of climate change. General Electric has recently distanced itself and shareholders and investors are also reacting, with numerous socially responsible investment advisors calling on high-profile companies to reconsider their membership with the Chamber. The defections continued despite the Chamber's statement last week saying the group “supports strong federal legislation… to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change.” However, in the same statement, the Chamber reiterated their opposition to both the Waxman-Markey bill and any movement by the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases. Read more at Politico
Washington Post Launches Special Section for Climate Change Coverage
The Washington Post recently introduced a new section on their website called “The Climate Agenda,” promoted prominently on their homepage. The section contains a comprehensive listing of the Post’s coverage on climate change issues. Other resources include an interactive representation of worldwide emissions over the past half-century and a discussion panel of experts. Learn more at Washington Post
Local, State Government Leaders from Around World Urge Climate Action
Thirty governors, premiers, mayors and senior officials from around the world gathered in California today at the Governors' Global Climate Summit. The subnational leaders declared that workable solutions to global warming exist and they want a global deal to emerge from negotiations in Copenhagen this December. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who convened the second annual summit, said climate change is the "greatest environmental challenge of our time... the time to act is now." Participants agreed to collaborate on ways to pursue clean transportation, support national climate change legislation and acknowledged the need for helping developing countries adapt to the consequences of climate change. Read more at ENS
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Other Headlines
