Carbon cuts of 30% by 2025 possible under existing laws, finds WRI report, with tightening of climate policies
Faster low carbon transition is possible without Congress action, says the WRI (Pic: Ed King/RTCC)
By Megan Darby
The US can meet and exceed its carbon targets without any extra action from Congress.
That is the conclusion of a detailed sector-by-sector analysis from the World Resources Institute.
Using only existing federal and state powers, the think-tank found Washington could deepen emissions cuts from the targeted 26-28% to 30% on 2005 levels by 2025.
“Leadership is in the doing, not just the pledging,” said WRI climate expert Sam Adams.
“Robust measures at home to cut emissions and forge research and innovation partnerships with industry are critical to progress abroad.”
Future US greenhouse gas emissions: reference case and low carbon pathways (Source: WRI)
Barack Obama’s administration has already embarked on a clean power plan, vehicle fuel economy standards and rules to stop methane leaks.
WRI recommends tightening these measures and expanding the hunt for emissions savings to other sectors including transport and waste management.
At the report’s launch, John Coequyt of green group the Sierra Club warned that legal challenges could hold up the proposed policies.
“It is important to see the incredible opposition that exists – the potential for delay there is not small,” he said.
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Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell is leading a campaign against the clean power plan, which he characterises as “political extremism” that will destroy jobs in his coal producing state.
A report by the Brookings Institution, an influential think tank, found it was not just Republicans fighting the curbs on coal emissions – several Democratic states also raised objections.
With the plan relying on state environmental agencies to see it through, “there is every reason to expect that serious difficulties await the final rule”, the authors concluded.
White House official Rick Duke was more optimistic. The climate action plan is “diversified” and can withstand challenges, he said.
“We will continue to proceed across all those different measures and we are confident they will be successful.”
And he said the government was already seeking emissions cuts from new quarters.
In April, the agriculture department unveiled voluntary initiatives it claimed could deliver 120 million tonnes of emissions cuts a year by 2025. That’s 2% of the country’s total emissions.
“That is an example of the kind of engagement we are doing across all sectors. We expect to complete a robust set of measures on our remaining watch.”