Title
a. Receive a presentation on the Citizen's Climate Lobby's Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D) Program
b. Direct staff to bring a resolution supporting the CF&D program to the Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee for consideration; and,
c. Provide direction to staff as appropriate.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Alternative Energy and Environment Committee:
1. Receive a presentation on the Citizen's Climate Lobby's Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D) Program,
2. Direct staff to bring a resolution supporting the CF&D program to the Board of Supervisors Legislative Committee for consideration; and,
3. Provide direction to staff as appropriate.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. The CCL has proposed a Carbon Fee and Dividend (CF&D) program (Attachment A) by which a federal fee will be placed on carbon based fuels so that their consumer costs more accurately reflect their costs to society. The artificially low costs of carbon based fuels do not currently reflect impacts such as environmental degradation or public health impacts related to their use.
The main components of the CF&D Program are as follows:
* Place a steadily rising fee on fossil fuels with an initial fee of $15 per ton of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent (carbon dioxide)
* Yearly price increases of at least $10 per year shall continue until program goal is reached (10% of U.S. GHG emissions in 1990).
* Distribute 100% of the proceeds (minus administrative costs) back to US households on a per-capita basis.
* Discourage businesses from relocating where they can emit more CO2 and motivate other countries to adopt similar carbon pricing policies through border adjustment and import fees or rebates.
The CF&D program is a fee, not a tax, and would not create more regulations or government agencies/staff. It is designed to be an efficient, ...
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