Washington, D.C. – The Climate Leadership Council, which promotes placing a fee on carbon emissions to combat climate change, has announced its Founding Members, including major American corporations, environmental nongovernmental organizations, and a bipartisan slate of leaders from government, business, science, and philanthropy. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI), the Senate sponsors of legislation to establish a carbon fee, released the following statement:
“We agree with the Founding Members of the Climate Leadership Council that a carbon fee is a well-designed, efficient way to address carbon pollution and generate growth. We’re encouraged to see support for this important idea continue to broaden outside Congress, especially among corporations. They can be particularly forceful allies in promoting climate action.
“We’ve heard fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil express support for a carbon fee before. But they continued funneling millions of dollars to groups peddling climate denial. As the authors of the Senate bill, we have seen no lobbying effort so far from them in support of carbon fee legislation.
“We stand ready to take serious action to curb emissions. The real test of this new coalition will be whether it can use its lobbying clout to get Republicans to sign onto a bill. We welcome the effort, and hope it is real.”
Whitehouse and Schatz’s American Opportunity Carbon Fee Act, which was introduced in the last two Congresses, would assess a fee on major sources of greenhouse gases. As under the Climate Leadership Council’s proposal, the fee would increase gradually over time, 100 percent of revenues would be returned to the American people, and border adjustments would level the playing field for manufacturers of energy-intensive goods.
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