Washington, DC — Capping off a busy week for climate policy in the U.S. and internationally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent to the White House Friday its final carbon dioxide endangerment finding on the threat greenhouse gas emissions pose for human health.
The Office of Management and Budget has 90 days to respond, although the agency hopes the review will be conducted quickly, Reuters reported. A final finding declaring carbon dioxide contributes to air pollution that endangers public health would clear the way for the EPA to regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act.
The development comes as debate heats up over climate change legislation in the Senate, where the Boxer-Kerry climate change bill passed out of the Environment and Public Works committee last week despite a Republican boycott, in a sign of its difficult road ahead. The House's climate change bill passed narrowly in June on a 219-212 vote.
The Boxer-Kerry bill, which at this stage aims to reduce emissions by 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, now heads for the Finance and Energy and Natural Resources committees. The New York Times reports the Finance Committee will tackle the controversial issue of how to allocate billions of dollars in carbon permits to be traded under a greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program. The House version of the bill unfairly favors coastal electric utilities, critics contend.
A border tax mechanism is also contentious, with some members pushing for trade protections for domestic manufacturing in order to prevent its migration to countries with weaker or no emissions reduction targets.
A group of businesses that includes Gap, Aspen Skiing Co., DB Climate Change Advisors, FPL and National Grid called on Congress to pass strong climate change legislation through their newly created group called American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE). The group was launched to show policymakers the existence of cross-section business support for a new climate law.
"Many within the business community are urging Congress to adopt meaningful energy and climate legislation, so we can move forward with investments in technologies and infrastructure that will be needed to meet future energy demand, grow our economy, and protect our environment," National Grid President Tom King said in a statement. "ABCE provides a public forum for companies to register their support for this critical objective."
On the international stage, the last round of climate talks before the December Copenhagen negotiations also concluded last week, leaving a lot of camps grumbling over a perceived lack of progress and warning a legally binding agreement won't be reached until next year.
The U.S. is reportedly being singled out as the cause of the delay due to its failure so far to commit to hard emissions reduction targets and funding to help developing nations adapt to climate change. Frustrated African nations even walked out of a session last Monday.
The head of the United Nations, however, believes that progress can still be made in Copenhagen, even if it's not the strong agreement many are hoping for. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Janos Pasztor, Ban's climate change support team director, will arrive in the U.S. Tuesday to engage the White House and key senators ahead of the Copenhagen negotiations.
"The secretary-general is confident that governments will reach agreements in Copenhagen on the fundamental issues that will form the substance of a legally binding international agreement, which is the end goal for guiding action on climate change," Pasztor told a news conference, the Associated Press reported.
The COP15 U.N. Climate Change conference takes place Dec. 7-18.
Image CC licensed by Flickr user pfala.