Op-Ed by Makenzie Binford & Christopher Bove, Indianapolis Star, March 4, 2023
We are young leaders representing opposing political parties. In the recent midterm elections, we were fighting in opposite trenches to turn out the vote for our respective candidates. However, now that the political dust has settled and divided government has begun, we know our parties must come together and put our country’s interests first.
As we see it, this must include climate change. Climate instability is worsening, and Americans are facing escalating costs from extreme storms and other climate damages. Our generation — which turned out in force in the recent election — will face the brunt of the impacts, which is why young voters consistently rank climate as a top voting issue.
Delivering results on climate change should be a priority for this Congress, and, even in the context of divided government, there is reason for hope. The legislative track record underscores that most legislative successes are, in fact, bipartisan. Since 1985, the majority party has passed high-priority legislation without support from the opposing party a meager 4% of the time. In this sense, bipartisanship isn’t the exception in Congress. It’s the norm.
Climate politics remains politicized, so how can we achieve bipartisanship on this issue?
First, both parties need to embrace compromise. On the liberal side of the aisle, progressive activists must be willing to decouple climate policy from other progressive policy goals and also be open to market-based solutions, as long as they help to reduce emissions. That is the way to bring both parties together around bipartisan and durable solutions.
Conservatives, meanwhile, need to lead with greater ambition on the issue, leave climate denialism behind and put forth concrete and effective solutions. As more leaders in the GOP lean-in on climate, Republicans can’t just say they’re for clean energy innovation without supporting the incentives to induce it. The reality is that society won’t adopt cleaner alternatives at scale because it feels good. The private sector needs clear market signals.
Second, success should be measured by actual emissions reductions. While recent Congressional proposals like the Trillion Trees Act and Civilian Climate Corps Act might spring from noble intentions, they would do little on their own to improve the raw math of emissions. Emphasizing actual reductions — including in key sectors like energy, transportation and industry — will bring into focus what matters most.
To this end, a market-based tool like carbon pricing is vital. This approach would charge fossil fuel companies a fee for their emissions and create a market incentive for businesses to adopt cleaner energy sources like solar, wind and nuclear. In addition, if the revenue from this carbon fee were returned to citizens as direct checks, this would sidestep debates about the size of government and put money back in the pockets of US workers and families.
This approach has earned the backing of thought leaders across the political spectrum, as well as business leaders and environmental experts. It would harness the marketplace to accelerate the transition to clean energy and help deliver a 50% emissions cut by 2030.
Finally, we must spur progress overseas. While it’s true the U.S. has higher emissions per capita, it’s also true that an overwhelming 87% of carbon emissions come from beyond our shores, meaning domestic action can only go so far. A tool known as a pollution import fee — which would charge foreign polluters for their emissions — could bring both parties together and send a clear market signal to lower international emissions.
Republican and Democrat lawmakers alike are gravitating toward this approach, including as a means to hold high-emitting countries like China accountable and bring jobs and manufacturing back to the United States. In this new Congress, this type of solution should be at the top of the agenda. As overall emissions continue to rise and climate impacts intensify, we should double down on finding pathways to climate leadership. In the 118th Congress, we can supercharge recent climate investments, expand energy production in the United States, and lower global emissions, too.
Especially as our generation continues to vote and prioritize climate action, the mandate to lead on this issue will only strengthen. We can, and must, put aside our differences and ensure a timely response to one of the great challenges of our time.
Makenzie Binford is the chairwoman of the Indiana Federation of College Republicans. She is a student at Indiana University.
Christopher Bove is the chairman of the College Democrats of Rhode Island. He is a student at the University of Rhode Island.
https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2023/03/04/bipartisan-cooperation-needed-to-resolve-climate-change-in-u-s/69968497007/