25x’25

The House Energy and Commerce Committee this week, under the leadership of Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), took historic action by moving legislation establishing the first national limit on climate-change inducing greenhouse gases. The American Clean Energy and Security Act, approved by a 33-25 committee vote, would require a 17-percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions below 2005 levels by 2020, then ratchet up the reductions to 83 percent by 2050.

The 25x’25 Alliance believes committee passage of the measure is the first step in what will prove to be a long journey to adopt climate change regulatory legislation. This bill now provides a focal point for ongoing discussion and debate. Agriculture and forestry can deliver readily-available and low-cost solutions to climate change, yet the bill as approved by the Energy Committee fails to allow for this potential to be realized.

The measure fails to fully specify how the cap-and-trade system will work, much less provide for the offsets that EPA says agriculture and forestry can offer, reducing U.S. GHG emissions by up to 25 percent. And with a restrictive definition of renewable biomass, the measure does not fully utilize sustainable biomass contributions for biofuel and biopower production that could further reduce GHG emissions.

The 25x’25 Alliance strongly recommends that House leadership refer the Waxman- Markey bill to the House Agriculture Committee for that panel’s input to develop a workable offset program that maximizes the national benefits offered by agriculture and forestry in a climate-change regulatory system.

The 25x’25 Alliance stands ready to offer assistance in working with stakeholders and policy makers to get it right. Towards this end, 25x’25 has developed and shared with the House Agriculture Committee a list of critical issues that must be addressed as the bill moves forward.

Agriculture and forestry can be valuable allies in the fight against climate change, but for this to occur, the enabling legislation must empower and incentivize the sectors. It’s time to take that step.

25x'25 Legislation 25x'25 Vision, Agriculture, Carbon, Climate Change, Congress, Forestry, House of Representatives, Sustainability