Hagel/Pryor Introduce Comprehensive Climate Change Amendment

Hagel/Pryor Introduce Comprehensive Climate Change Amendment

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), along with Senators Pryor (D-AR), Alexander (R-TN), Craig (R-ID), Dole (R-NC), Murkowski (R-AK), Voinovich (R-OH), Stevens (R-AK), and Landrieu (D-LA), introduced a bipartisan amendment to the Senate Energy Bill today which provides a comprehensive, voluntary approach to addressing the issue of climate change both domestically and internationally. Hagel's amendment is based on two bills he introduced earlier this year (S. 883 and S. 887). It focuses on the role of private-public partnerships, technology, and developing countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"We all agree on the need for a clean environment and stable climate. The debate is about solutions. Our amendment is a market-driven, technology-based approach that connects the public and private sectors and enhances the U.S. economy. It recognizes the need for U.S. leadership at home and with developing countries if we are to achieve meaningful reductions in greenhouse gases.

"We have an opportunity to take a critical step forward in addressing climate change both internationally and domestically by passing this common sense amendment," Senator Hagel said.

"Climate change is not a new issue to this body, but years of debate have led to a stalemate on policy and too little has been done to address the problem. This amendment moves us in the right direction by making needed investments in technologies and research that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Senator Pryor said. "By passing this measure we will encourage American ingenuity, international partnerships and, above all, progress."

"This provision gives us the opportunity to reduce greenhouse gasses by expanding our science research and technologies, exploring better ways to collect harmful carbon emissions in the coal gasification process and working with the international community on developing those new ideas," said Senator Alexander. "I appreciate Senator Hagel's leadership on this issue and will continue to support legislation that enhances our ability to keep our air clean."

"Our policy must recognize the legitimate needs of our bilateral trading partners to use their resources and meet the needs of their people. For too long the climate policy debate has been fixated on assigning blame and inflicting pain. This is harmful and counterproductive. Our best technology must be made available and our research activities must focus on developing country needs as well as our own," Senator Craig said.

"The provisions in this amendment encourage reductions without containing government mandates that can't work in a multi-trillion-dollar economy. This legislation promotes new technology that will be the key to reducing our emissions in the 21st Century. And it will work without harming the global economy, which is the key for sustained progress on this issue," Senator Murkowski said.

"I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan amendment being offered today by Senator Hagel and Senator Pryor. Combined with current Administration actions and the numerous provisions in the energy bill that already address climate change, I believe this amendment comprehensively addresses this issue by focusing on technology development and international deployment. I look forward to debating this amendment and will work for its expeditious passage," Senator Voinovich said.

"This amendment provides a comprehensive, voluntary approach to respond to climate change that compliments provisions included in the Energy bill, and the Administration's climate change programs. The amendment is a reasonable, progressive response to climate change that I am happy to support," Senator Stevens said.

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Summary of the Hagel/Pryor Climate Change Amendment
Sponsors: Alexander, Craig, Dole, Murkowski, Voinovich, Landrieu, Stevens

This amendment offers a comprehensive, voluntary approach to addressing the issue of climate change by connecting domestic and international economic, environmental, and energy policies. It takes a market-driven, technology based approach to climate change by using public-private partnerships to meld together the institutional leverage of the government with the innovation of industry. This amendment is based on S.883 and S.887.

Section One: The domestic section of the amendment promotes the adoption of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity by:

* authorizing such sums as necessary in the form of direct loans, loan guarantees, standby default coverage, and standby interest coverage for projects that deploy technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity;
* establishing a Climate Coordinating Committee and Climate Credit Board to assess, approve and fund projects;
* and directing the Secretary of Energy to lead an inter-agency process to implement a national climate change strategy.

Section Two: The international section of the amendment promotes the adoption of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity in developing countries by:

* providing the Secretary of State with new authority for coordinating assistance to developing countries for demonstration projects and technologies that reduce greenhouse gas intensity;
* establishing an inter-agency working group to promote the export of greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies and practices from the United States;
* directing the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate the removal of trade-related barriers to the export of greenhouse gas intensity reducing technologies; and
* authorizing fellowship and exchange programs for foreign officials to visit the United States and acquire the expertise and knowledge to reduce greenhouse gas intensity in their countries.

Cost: This amendment authorizes such sums as necessary to fund these initiatives.

http://craig.senate.gov/