Audience: Policymakers

During 2000 to 2016, total lobbying expenditures related to climate change legislation in the U.S. Congress amounted to $2 billion dollars, or 3.9% of total lobbying expenditure during this time period. The primary sectors involved include utilities, fossil fuel, and transportation corporations. Expenditures by environmental organizations and renewable energy corporations were much lower during this time.             

State-level climate initiatives have made headlines recently, most notably in Washington state where the latest effort to pass a carbon tax failed to get through the state legislature, although a carbon fee will be on the ballot this November. While some view it as a blue state-specific referendum on progressive climate policies, others suggest that carbon taxes and cap-and-trade policies in states like Washington and Oregon could potentially provide a blueprint for policymakers and grassroots advocates across the country. Today we review recent polling and recap lessons learned for public engagement on carbon tax policies.