Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00018065
US Legislation
The CLEAN Future Act
Environment ... House Dems introduce the CLEAN Future Act ... This new proposal aims to have the U.S. reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Peter Burgess
Yesterday House Democrats introduced a bill that would have the intent to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
This comes at a time when multiple Trump administration rollbacks on our climate protection acts have taken place. This week alone, the Trump administration is attacking the National Environmental Policy Act.
According to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the CLEAN Future Act is a comprehensive proposal of sector-specific and economy-wide solutions to address the climate crisis. Critically, the CLEAN Future Act formally adopts the goal of achieving of a 100 percent clean economy by 2050. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, avoiding the most catastrophic outcomes of climate change requires cutting carbon pollution to net-zero by 2050. The draft bill incorporates both proven and novel concepts, presenting a set of policy proposals that will put the U.S. on the path to a clean and prosperous economy.
The CLEAN Future Act does not impose a tax on carbon but instead, according to EcoWatch, it would create a national clean energy standard for power suppliers, strengthen vehicle emissions standards and building efficiency, among other measures.
“Record wildfires, flooding, heatwaves and drought have spelled out a dire reality: the climate crisis is here, and we can no longer afford to address this crisis along the margins. Today we are providing the kind of serious federal leadership this moment requires. This plan represents our commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas pollution. For the sake of the American people, the long-term sustainability of our economy, and public health, we must act boldly, and that is exactly what we intend to do,” says Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ).
While the bill is not yet finalized, those who proposed it are asking lawmakers and stakeholders for recommendations on how to refine and expand the act.