The Climate Stewardship Acts are a series of three acts introduced to the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
by Senator
John McCain (
R-
AZ) and Senator
Joseph Lieberman (
ID-
CT), with a number of other co-sponsors. Their aim was to introduce a mandatory
cap and trade
Emissions trading is a market-based approach to controlling pollution by providing economic incentives for reducing the emissions of pollutants. The concept is also known as cap and trade (CAT) or emissions trading scheme (ETS). Carbon emission t ...
system for
greenhouse gases
A greenhouse gas (GHG or GhG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere are water vapor (), carbon dioxide (), methane ...
, as a response to the threat of
anthropogenic climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
. All three acts failed to gain enough votes to pass through the senate.
Legislative history
2003 Climate Stewardship Act
The first Act (, ) was
defeated
Defeated may refer to:
* "Defeated" (Breaking Benjamin song)
* "Defeated" (Anastacia song)
*"Defeated", a song by Snoop Dogg from the album ''Bible of Love''
*Defeated, Tennessee, an unincorporated community
*''The Defeated
''The Defeated'', al ...
in the
U.S. Senate by 55 votes to 43.
If passed, it would have capped 2010
CO2 emissions at the 2000 level. Residential and agricultural areas, as well as other areas deemed "not feasible", would be exempt. As such, approximately 85% of the United States' emissions would have been covered for the year 2000. The bill would have also established a
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholars ...
at the
National Academy of Sciences for those studying
climatology
Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "place, zone"; and , ''-logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. This modern field of study ...
.
[
]
Economic forecasts used to oppose climate legislation
The economic consultancy Charles River Associates
Charles River Associates (legally CRA International, Inc.) is a global consulting firm headquartered in Boston.
Practice areas
Their practices include: aerospace & defense, antitrust & competition economics, auctions & competitive bidding, climat ...
produced forecasts showing a negative impact on employment of the Act. Their work was criticized in 2005 for using unrealistic economic assumptions and producing directionally incorrect estimates. A 2021 study concluded their work from the 1990s to the 2010s overestimated predicted costs and ignored potential policy benefits, and was often presented by politicians and lobbyists as independent rather than sponsored by the fossil fuel industry. Other papers published in the late 1990s by economists at Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates (and later, in the 2010s, at MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
), also with funding from the fossil fuel industry, produced similar conclusions.
2005 Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act
Under a slightly modified title, but with similar provisions, the Act () was reintroduced to a new Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
. The Act now called for the federal government to play a lead role in researching and commercialising new energy technologies, and particularly nuclear plant
A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a generator that produces ele ...
designs. This bill also would provide for the trading of emission allowances and reductions as Climate Change Credits.
The bill was defeated 38 Yea to 60 Nay.
Climate Change Credit Corporation
Allocation of special Emission Permits by the Climate Change Corporation (to be created as part of the Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act) was intended to provide funding for assistance for consumers and industry to fully comply with the act. Permits would be allocated to support the activities of a Climate Change Credit Corporation, a combination public and private agency that would oversee the cap and trade program, provide credit (Climate Change Credits) to participating entities for reductions in the total greenhouse gases made before 2012, and to facilitate transition for industries with competitiveness concerns and fewer options for efficient energy reduction technology. These credits are limited but can be used, bought, or sold.
2007 Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act
The substantional strengthening of this Act () involved the provision for the emissions cap, immobile in previous Acts, to be gradually reduced, following the theory of contraction and convergence
Contraction and Convergence (C&C) is a proposed global framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. Conceived by the Global Commons Institute CIin the early 1990s, the Contraction and Convergence strategy consists of ...
. It was co-sponsored by eleven senators and also received endorsements from the National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense
Environmental Defense Fund or EDF (formerly known as Environmental Defense) is a United States-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. The group is known for its work on issues including global warming, ecosystem restoration, oceans, and hu ...
, and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, now the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.
Reductions in emissions under the Act would be to 2004 levels by 2012, 1990 levels by 2020, and 60% below 1990 by 2050. The 60% target is the level posited for the forthcoming UK Climate Change Bill.
The Act died after being referred to committee, without a vote of the full Senate.
See also
* Climate change denial
* Stewardship
* Tradable allowance
References
External links
American Prospect Online
Status of the Acts at GovTrack.us
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act
United States proposed federal environmental legislation
John McCain
Emissions trading
Proposed legislation of the 108th United States Congress
Proposed legislation of the 109th United States Congress
Proposed legislation of the 110th United States Congress