Winds of Change Signal Seismic Shift in U.S. Climate Change Policy

November 21st, 2008

There were two events in Washington that clearly signal that climate change and greenhouse gas management will soon become a front-burner political issue starting in January.

President-elect Obama’s address to the Governors’ Global Climate Summit this week sent a message that signaled that the incoming U.S. administration will make climate change a major priority. That’s not a huge surprise.

The surprise development occurred earlier today when Rep. Henry Waxman was elected chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce, unseating his longtime colleague Rep. John Dingell during a closed-door session of the House majority caucus. That was a significant action because Waxman has long been a vocal proponent of U.S. federal agencies, specifically the Environmental Protection Agency, taking a more proactive role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Dingell championed the interests of major American car companies, which generally opposed aggressive emissions legislation.

No matter what your political preference, it’s now a well-established fact that U.S supporters of greenhouse gas legislation, and emissions management in general, got a boost from two committed climate change intervention advocates ascending to positions of authority. Both events immediately signal that American emissions regulation will be more activist in nature, starting in early 2009.

If your business has put off implementing processes that address the reality of a carbon-constrained environment for manufacturing, you might want to rethink your position. Your company’s legislative affairs staff is probably preparing recommendations that will detail the implications to your operations. Allow me to provide a concise summary: There’s just been a seismic shift in the U.S. regulatory landscape for emissions management. Both the new president and legislative leaders have indicated that the current economic slowdown won’t affect their efforts to pass climate change legislation next year. And, apparently, the winds of political change are blowing in their favor.

Tags: climate change policy committee on energy and commerce global climate summit greenhouse gas legislation

Entry Filed under: Operational Risk Management, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Corporate Governance, GHG Legislation and Directives, GHG Regulations