U.S. Climate Action Partnership pressures Bush to act on global warming

January 20, 2007 -
The U.S. Climate Action Partnership - unveils its climate change initiative.


The coalition includes the CEOs of industrial comporations including Alcoa (AA), Caterpillar (CAT) DuPont (DD) and General Electric (GE) as well as financial services firm Lehman Brothers (LEH). Other members the coalition are utilities PG&E Corp. (PCG), FPL (FPL) and Duke Energy (DUK), Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense, World Resources Institute and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. SOURCE: January 20, 2007 Green Wombat post titled "Wal-Mart Backs Corporate Drive for U.S. Global Warming Legislation" http://blogs.business2.com/greenwombat/2007/01/walmart_backs_c.html


A Call for Action

Their solutions-based report, titled "A Call for Action (PDF- 623 KB), is the result of a year-long collaboration. It lays out a blueprint for a mandatory economy-wide, market-driven approach to climate protection.

Key points include:

We Know Enough to Act on Climate Change

The Challenge is Significant, But the United States Can Grow and Prosper in a Greenhouse Gas Constrained World

We Need a Mandatory, Flexible Climate Program

We believe the US Climate legislation must include the following design principles:

Account for the Global Dimensions of Climate Change

Recognize the Importance of Technology

Be Environmentally Effective

Create Economic Opportunity and Advantage

Be Fair

Encourage Early Action


Their recommendations:

Congress Needs to Enact Legislation as Quickly as Possible

The Environmental Goal
U.S. legislation should be designed to achieve the goal of
limiting global atmospheric GHG concentrations to a level
that minimizes large-scale adverse climate change impacts
to human populations and the natural environment, which
will require global GHG concentrations to be stabilized over
the long-term at a carbon dioxide equivalent level between
450–550 parts per million.

Take a Stepwise, Cost-Effective Approach

Cap and Trade is Essential

Establish Short and Mid-Term GHG Emission Targets

Complementary Policies and Measures Will be Necessary

Scope of Coverage and Point of Regulation of the Cap and Trade Program

The members of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership pledge to work with the President, the Congress, and all other stakeholders to enact an environmentally effective, economically sustainable, and fair climate change program consistent with our principles at the earliest practicable date.