What You Need to Know About a Federal Carbon Tax in the United States
Climate change presents serious threats to the economy, the environment, and national security. To address these threats, a growing number of influential businesses, scientists, NGOs, policymakers, and thought leaders are calling for a carbon tax, which would put a price on carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Economists point to a price on GHGs as a key part of a strategy to address climate risks cost-effectively.
Last week, three new carbon tax proposals were released in Congress: Rep. Rooney’s bill and Rep. Lipinski’s bill in the House of Representatives, and the Coons/Feinstein bill in the Senate. Given the unprecedented level of movement in Congress surrounding carbon tax legislation, the Center on Global Energy Policy’s Carbon Tax Research Initiative launched a new online resource that explains what you need to know about a federal carbon tax in the United States, including comparisons of the existing federal carbon tax legislation introduced thus far. One of the comparison charts was featured in Axios’s Generate Newsletter.
The online guide, “What You Need to Know about a Federal Carbon Tax in the United States” provides a high-level overview of the basics on pricing carbon, the major decisions that policymakers confront when designing a carbon tax, the implications of those decisions, and the carbon tax proposals in Congress today.
About the author
The Carbon Tax Research Initiative at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy explores key questions related to the design and implementation of a carbon tax in the United States. It provides a platform to educate and enhance the dialogue among policymakers, business leaders, students, and the public. The purpose of CGEP's Carbon Tax Research Initiative is not to advocate for a particular policy, but rather to produce clear, objective, and data-driven research that enables the thoughtful consideration of federal carbon tax policy in the United States.
