FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       Contact:                     Jessica Gillman
December 5, 2007                                                                              (202) 350-8582
 
 
Center for Clean Air Policy President Ned Helme Congratulates Senators Boxer, Lieberman and Warner for Moving Landmark Climate Change Legislation
out of Committee
 
Washington, D.C. – Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) President Ned Helme released the following statement today in reaction to the passage of S. 2191: the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007 out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee:
 
“The Center for Clean Air Policy commends Senators Boxer, Lieberman and Warner for their leadership in supporting passage of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007.  Years of hard work and thoughtful dialogue and debate have produced the first major climate legislation that will soon be headed to the Senate Floor.
 
From CCAP’s work domestically and internationally with many developed and developing countries, we know this economy-wide cap and trade bill will not only advance the policy debate here in the United States, but also signal to the international community at the UNFCCC meeting in Bali, Indonesia over the next two weeks that the U.S. is willing and ready to step up to the plate and take on more of a leadership role in addressing climate change.
 
CCAP commends the Senators for steadfastly preserving the fundamental principle that it does not make sense to give away all allowances to historical carbon emitters and that ultimately, an auction is the way to go. The legislators also recognize the vital principle that the hundreds of billions of dollars in annual allowance value and auction proceeds are ultimately a public benefit to be used for advancing important societal goals, such as assisting low and moderate income families, investing in the variety of technologies needed to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change, and increasing investments that will reduce emissions from transportation (by investing in vehicles, fuels and reduced demand for travel.
 
As the debate shifts to the Senate Floor in the coming months, the political agreement that secured committee passage will need to expand to the realities of securing 60 votes and making additional improvements to the bill.  CCAP looks forward to providing high quality analyses and working through the details of the difficult issues that will be essential to passage both in our collaborative dialogue – the Climate Policy Initiative -- with industry and environmental groups and through our support for Members of Congress.
 
CCAP will update its analysis of the allocation and auction value in the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act in the coming days.”
 
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Since 1985, CCAP has been a recognized world leader in climate and air quality policy and is the only independent, non-profit think-tank working exclusively on those issues at the local, national and international levels. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., CCAP helps policymakers around the world to develop, promote and implement innovative, market-based solutions to major climate, air quality and energy problems that balance both environmental and economic interests. For more information about CCAP , please visit www.ccap.org.