House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats announced a goal Tuesday of adopting legislation to combat climate change by the end of the year that would enable the U.S. to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the economy by 2050.
Net zero emissions, or carbon neutrality, means that no more carbon emissions are produced within the country than are eliminated.
The goal and timeline is consistent with the consensus established by climate scientists, including the United Nations scientific panel, for the required action needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.
Many Democratic presidential candidates have set similar goals, although progressive groups behind the Green New Deal have pressed for a faster timeline.
“It’s an ambitious goal,” said Committee Chairman Frank Pallone of New Jersey, who led a group of Democrats unveiling the new goal at a Capitol Hill press conference.
Pallone, a relatively centrist Democrat allied with Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, sought to portray a “united front” among the party on climate change.
“I don’t want you to get the impression we are not trying to incorporate ideas from those who support the Green New Deal,” Pallone said. “We are trying to come up with a united front.”
The progressive Sunrise Movement, a driving force behind the Green New Deal, signaled it would not cooperate, issuing a sarcasm-laced statement decrying Democratic leaders for setting of a goal with no legislation.
“It’s great that Democratic leaders are finally laying out their plan to make a plan to confront the climate emergency,” said Sunrise co-founder Varshini Prakash. “Pallone and Democratic leaders are right that this is a crisis. But by setting a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 here in the United States, they’re not acting like it.”
Energy and Commerce Democrats did not detail specifics about what legislation to achieve the target would entail. They also refused to answer sensitive questions, such as whether nuclear power or carbon capture technology for coal and natural gas plants should qualify toward the goal. Democrats don’t have consensus over the best ways to combat climate change, Pallone acknowledged, even if they agree it’s an urgent problem that Republicans and the Trump administration have failed to sufficiently address.
“The worst thing that can happen is for allies to fight with each other,” said Representative Mike Doyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat. “That is why we need to engage all the stakeholders. The worst thing that can happen is a circular firing squad among those who believe climate change is real.”
Committee Democrats are planning a series of hearings intended to flesh out details of their goal, starting Wednesday, with one focusing on “pathways to decarbonize the economy.” Other future hearings will focus sector-by-sector on ways to reduce emissions beyond just electricity, including in harder to decarbonize sectors areas, such as heavy industry and transportation.
“It’s like inviting your friends for dinner,” said Representative Paul Tonko of New York, the chairman of the committee’s Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee. “You set the date. Then you determine your guests. We know the menu. We have to get the ingredients to make sure we serve the best meal.”
Tonko, who is also relatively centrist, has provided a blueprint for what eventual legislation could look like. In March, he released a framework to address climate change that contains short-term goals that Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans also support, such as streamlining permitting for building energy infrastructure, investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, boosting energy efficiency, and R&D spending on clean energy technologies. But it also contains a long-term goal of establishing a price on carbon emissions, which most Republicans oppose.
Pallone and Tonko said they hope to attract Republican support when they issue legislation, recognizing that’s unlikely to happen as long as climate change skeptic President Trump occupies the White House.
Energy and Commerce Republican leaders did not say Tuesday whether they support the goal of economy-wide decarbonization by 2050, but they suggested they oppose regulations or mandates that would likely be required to achieve the target. “Our solutions focus on innovation, conservation, and preparation; they are not prescriptive, nor are they partisan, but they are effective,” said Representatives Greg Walden of Oregon, John Shimkus of Illinois, and Fred Upton of Michigan, in a joint statement.
