The science is abundantly clear: climate change is human-caused, already devastating communities and habitats across the world, and will only get worse without global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is already contributing to more frequent and intense extreme weather events, sea level rise, drought, and species extinction.
According to the recent National Climate Assessment report, a document prepared by 13 U.S. government agencies, climate change is currently on pace to cost the economy $500 billion per year in crop damage by 2100.
FCNL believes that our moral obligation to address climate change, and protect vulnerable communities, transcends partisanship.
The U.S. Congress is pivotal to national and global efforts to curb climate change and its disastrous consequences. While state and local governments are taking important action, action at the federal level is also vital in order to honor our international climate commitments and shift our economy away from reliance on fossil fuels.
The majority of the American people believe climate change is a serious threat. It is time for the federal government to become responsive to that concern.
FCNL believes that our moral obligation to address climate change, and protect vulnerable communities, transcends partisanship. Concerned grassroots activists – along with front-line communities and national security, environmental, science, and religious leaders – are working to foster a bipartisan and cooperative spirit in Congress to address climate change. By supporting collaboration across partisan boundaries, we are paving the way for meaningful legislative solutions to gain bipartisan support and become law.
We continue to promote this spirit by mobilizing constituents to meet with their members of Congress, write letters to the editor, and engage in respectful relationship-building across party lines.
We work to build support for and advance bipartisan carbon pricing legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage investment in renewable energy. Our carbon pricing work is guided by specific principles: - A price should be set high enough to meet global standards for emission reductions and should increase if benchmarks are not met. - It should ensure strong reporting and transparency measures and should not allow companies to outsource their pollution to countries with less strict controls. - It should ensure that low-income, marginalized, and communities of color, often the most impacted by climate change, do not bear the brunt of increased energy costs.
We have been encouraged by the introduction of two carbon pricing bills, both with Republican support: The MARKET CHOICE Act in the 115th Congress, and the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763) in the current Congress. In the 116th Congress, there have been seven carbon pricing bills introduced, four of which have bipartisan support. This demonstrates that carbon pricing is becoming more widely accepted as a tool in addressing climate change.
In a time when congressional offices increasingly want to work on climate solutions but are wary of becoming involved in an issue that has been made into a partisan lightning rod, we seek to foster a new approach, through bipartisan, science-led, and respectful advocacy. We bring people to the table and meet them where they are. We believe, guided by Quaker tradition and leadings, that this is the most effective, efficient, and peaceable strategy for realizing the world we seek.
