Carbon Pricing – Cap & Dividend – AB32 - National Legislation - Act Now

April 2009 Summit on Carbon Pricing

In April of 2009 Climate Protection Campaign, the Energy Foundation, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the Verde Group, Redefining Progress, UC Berkeley Labor Center and Carbonfees.org sponsored a summit on

Carbon Pricing in a Slow Economy:
Making an equitable transition to clean energy

Leaders from several dozen organizations working on environmental issues, environmental justice, and economic justice convened in Sacramento to discuss how a price on carbon can shift investment towards efficiency, green jobs, and renewables, and how to ensure that working families in all communities can benefit from the new green economy.

Speakers included:

• Andrew Hoerner of Redefining Progress; Market Mechanisms and Climate Justice (click here for presentation)
• Caroline Farrell of the Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment
• Laurie Williams of Carbonfees.org; Climate Change Solutions (click here for presentation)
• Rafael Aguilera of the Verde Group; California Dividend Design (click here for presentation)
• And a panel on SB31: AB32 Revenue Allocations with Chris Busch of Center for Resource Solutions, Kristin Grenfell of NRDC, and Andrea Buffa of UC Berkeley Labor Center.

The summit ended with participants recognizing areas of common ground and a commitment to continue the dialogue but bring more groups and ethnic diversity to the table.

Common Ground on Carbon Pricing Now is the time to take action, when the public is paying attention. We need more public involvement, so we need to increase outreach to specific communities, and bring affected people to the events/solutions. Good jobs sell solutions to people. People respond positively to checks in the mail: We need a carbon pricing policy. We need policy that addresses regressivity (the impact of rising energy prices on middle and lower income people). There needs to be a rebate, or dividend, or some kind of compensation provided. California is a leader in climate protection and should continue to at the forefront of this issue.