Weekly Briefing: IPCC Calls Carbon Pricing 'Efficient And Effective'

April 13, 2022

The latest installment of the IPCC report focuses on climate mitigation and makes clear that a price on carbon is an efficient, effective policy to reduce climate-changing emissions.

CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli analyzes the report in a blog post, highlighting the IPCC’s findings that a carbon price works both in theory:

“Economic theory suggests that carbon pricing policies are on the whole more cost effective than regulations or subsidies at reducing emissions” [13.6.3.3]

And in practice:

“There is abundant evidence that carbon pricing policies reduce emissions. Statistical studies of emissions trends in jurisdictions with and without carbon pricing find a significant impact after controlling for other policies and structural factors. Numerous assessments of specific policies, especially the EU ETS and the British Columbia carbon tax, conclude that most have reduced emissions” [13.6.3.3]

Dana also writes, “While it’s true that the more ambitious 1.5°C Paris target is rapidly slipping out of reach, it’s important to understand that it will never be too late to lessen the impacts of climate change. The climate of a 1.8°C world is more livable than a 2°C world, which would be better than a 2.2°C world, and so on. There will be no point in any of our lifetimes when it will become too late to leave the world a better place for future generations.”

Read Dana's Full Analysis

In other news this week: 
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• New research: CCL Research Coordinator Jonathan Marshall analyzes new research about how carbon pricing can reduce emissions without deepening national debt. Read more.

• CCL’s June conference: With June just around the corner, CCL is preparing for the first in-person organization-wide event since 2020. Will you join us in D.C.?

• Braver Angels workshop: Learn to talk more constructively with others about climate solutions in the “Bridging the Divide on Climate Solutions” workshop by Braver Angels. You can find more information and register for the April 30 event here.

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Share our posts about the Ukraine campaign

The United States’ dependence on oil enriches Putin and hurts our citizens through volatile price swings. Fortunately, clean energy hurts Putin and enriches our citizens. Join our “Fight Mean, Go Green” campaign and tell Congress to go fossil-free so we can stop helping the wrong people and start helping the right ones! You can like and share the latest posts from our campaign on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

If you have more time: Watch the April national call

Our April speaker was Keishaa Austin from Rewiring America, a group working on launching a movement to electrify our nation's 121 million households. Our April call also included a review of what actions you and your chapter can be taking this month to advance climate solutions in Congress. Watch the call recording here.

You can also connect with your nearest CCL chapter to take action in your community, or join one of CCL’s national online Action Teams to take action on specific topics like agriculture, health, faith, and more. 

Browse CCL Community’s Event Calendar to find upcoming events, trainings, and calls you can join.
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Fundraising goal met: $150,000 gift unlocked!

We are thrilled to announce that we exceeded our March fundraising goal! This year, we set the ambitious goal of generating $15,000 in new monthly donations for our March fundraiser. By April 1, we had raised an astounding $17,624 in new monthly recurring donations. What’s more: meeting our goal means we also unlocked a $150,000 bonus gift from an anonymous angel donor to even further elevate our grassroots climate work.

To everyone who pitched in or helped spread the word: thank you. Our Evergreen Donors and their dedication to a livable planet continue to exceed our expectations and inspire. 

This strong, steady stream of recurring monthly donations allows Citizens’ Climate the flexibility to meet the moment within our ever-changing political climate. With your support, we remain committed to making sure the President and Congress move away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy in 2022. 

P.S. Weren’t able to give during the March campaign? You can still sign up to become a monthly Evergreen Donor! Visit our website to learn more. 

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Featured Lever This Week 

Grasstops: Charleston Mayor endorses EICDA

Charleston, South Carolina’s Mayor John Tecklenburg recently endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307), with the help of CCL’s Charleston chapter, which is co-led by Mark Gould.

“Climate change is a real and significant threat to our city, country, and the world,” said Mayor Tecklenburg. “It is imperative that we work together to solve this issue with the help of Congress through the enactment of environmental legislation such as the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.”

Mayor Tecklenburg is one of more than 3,100 other organizations and prominent individuals who support this major climate legislation. In Charleston, this legislation has also been endorsed by City of Charleston Councilmembers Carol Jackson, Ross Appel, and Jason Sakran.

To figure out how to get your own grasstops endorsement for carbon pricing legislation, check out our grasstops engagement training. 

Grasstops Endorsement Training

Upcoming Trainings 

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4/14: Mining Your Chapter Roster — Join Elli Sparks, CCL's Field Development Director, for a training that will highlight new ways of engaging your chapter roster to build a thriving local chapter filled with engaged volunteers. Join us! 

4/21: IPCC Report Updates — Join CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli for a training about the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which focuses on climate mitigation efforts, including a carbon price. For a summary ahead of the training, read Dana's article here. Join us!

Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:

4/19: 7 Steps For Media Actions — Join CCL's State and Local Media Coordinator, Charlotte Ward, for a training that will demonstrate how to utilize CCL's suite of media resources to amplify the importance of a price on carbon. Join us! 

To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.