Carbon WA's open letter to Governor Inslee
Dear Governor Inslee:
Your leadership as a true climate champion is evident in the way you consistently and publicly talk about the need to put a price on carbon. We share that vision with you, and we want to help you turn that vision into a reality.
But putting a price on carbon is going to take more than talking. That’s why we’re writing to ask you to take the next steps by (1) publicly outlining a detailed policy proposal and (2) committing to make that proposal a reality no later than the November 2016 election.
As you know, there are already two policy proposals on the table: the carbon-tax-for-education bill (HB 2803) introduced in the state House earlier this year, and the B.C.-style revenue-neutral carbon tax proposal from our group, Carbon Washington. We are sure that you and your advisors have already discussed these options and the small handful of alternatives, including the possibility of linking up with California’s cap-and-trade market.
If you are going to make carbon pricing a reality, now is the time to get behind one of the existing proposals or provide a detailed alternative of your own. In addition to specifying exactly how you intend to put a price on carbon, we hope your proposal will also clearly describe how you will use the potential revenue associated with carbon pricing.
There is no time like the present to create important and lasting change, so we are also asking you to join us in committing to make carbon pricing a reality no later than the November 2016 election. We encourage you to use all the tools at your disposal to meet that deadline and to fulfill the pledge you made last year to “deploy market mechanisms” to reduce carbon emissions.
Here in Washington State we are lucky to have a climate champion as our governor. But if we’re going to lead the nation then we need to get to work. We hope you will take advantage of an opportunity in the near future—perhaps the Climate Solutions breakfast on May 19—to provide the details of your proposal and commit to making it a reality. Thank you, and good luck to us all.
(comments welcome on Carbon WA’s blog)