Carbon Pricing Bill Presents Critical Opportunity for Progress

NEW YORK — “The Market Choice Act represents important progress for a world in crisis that needs immediate relief,” said David Yarnold, president and CEO of the National Audubon Society. “We cannot afford to wait for an ideal solution when a warming climate is actively threatening all living things. This is common-sense, bipartisan legislation that is stronger than its predecessor bill from last year, and we support this as a much-needed step forward.”

The Market Choice Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today, presenting a welcome opportunity for a strong, bipartisan solution to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions that threaten both wildlife and people. The bill is a revised version of one that was introduced last year, and would set a carbon tax of $35 per ton of carbon dioxide. The bill's sponsors are Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Francis Rooney (FL-19), and Scott Peters (CA-52). 

The bill would also invest revenue from the carbon tax in infrastructure that would protect coastal communities from storms and sea-level rise, and in programs to help low-income families with their energy bills.

There is also a conditional moratorium on EPA regulation of stationary sources — facilities like power plants and factories — for the purpose of reducing carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions. The bill does not prohibit the EPA from regulating emissions for other purposes, like air quality standards that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. .

“We recognize that in an intensely partisan moment like the one in which we currently find ourselves, compromise is sometimes necessary to move forward,” said Yarnold. “Climate change is the biggest threat to birds and the places they need to survive. While we continue to have serious concerns about some of the provisions – particularly those around carbon capture and storage, and the breadth of support for low-income families – we welcome the introduction of this bill to keep this conversation going, and look forward to open and honest discussions as it moves through the legislative process.

“There is no easy solution to a problem as big as climate change, but it is heartening to have a sound framework to start from like the one suggested in this bill.”

About Audubon
The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Audubon works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Audubon believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at www.audubon.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Media Contact: Robyn Shepherd, robyn.shepherd@audubon.org