The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

US Capitol Building © Jonathan Colman/The Nature Conservancy

For the first time in history, the United States has a real chance to enact legislation that will reduce our global warming pollution and protect our communities against the devastating impacts of climate change.

The US House of Representatives in June became the first chamber of Congress ever to pass comprehensive climate change legislation. The Senate on September 30, 2009, introduced similar legislation and will soon begin committee action. We cannot let this opportunity pass.

Legislation that Works

Both the Senate bill and the House-passed American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) would

• lower greenhouse gas pollution in the United States,
   
• invest in keeping the country’s natural resources healthy and productive in the face of climate change, and
   
• protect threatened forests around the world to further reduce global carbon dioxide pollution.
   
• promote the development of clean energy jobs and technology across the country,

The Senate and House bills also include provisions to keep costs low for businesses and consumers as the nation joins the new low-carbon world.

An Historic Moment

Enactment of such legislation would be one of the most important environmental actions ever taken in US history, putting the nation on track to combat the greatest threat ever to face our natural systems: climate change.

We are already seeing the devastating impacts of climate change today. Those impacts will only worsen if we do not act immediately.

Congressional action on comprehensive policy also is critical to reaching a new global climate deal this year. World leaders will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December to hammer out a new agreement that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol, which took the first steps to lower global greenhouse gas emissions in 1997.

By enacting climate legislation this year, the United States can become a world leader in the fight against climate change and play a pivotal role in shaping a new global agreement.

Effective Climate Legislation

To effectively combat climate change and protect American communities against its impacts, Congress should approve legislation that:

• Reduces greenhouse gas pollution in the US by at least 20 percent by 2020 and at least 80 percent by 2050.
• Provides funding and policy support to protect natural resources across the country and around the world to help human and natural communities cope with the impacts of climate change.
• Allows US businesses to invest in forest protection at home and abroad as a way to meet new caps on greenhouse gas pollution. Such investments would significantly reduce the global emissions that result from deforestation, and also would keep compliance costs low for US businesses.

The Nature Conservancy is a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), a coalition of major corporations and leading environmental organizations that is working with federal lawmakers to enact effective climate legislation.

In January 2009, USCAP unveiled a comprehensive blueprint for legislative action, outlining recommendations to the U.S. Congress and the Administration on how to fight climate change. The package calls for the creation of a federal cap-and-trade system that includes tough timelines and targets for emissions reductions.