BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 23 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today welcomed growing support for a tax on carbon emissions that cause global warming as the United Nations hosted a one-day summit on climate change.
The World Bank said Monday that 73 nations and some 1,000 companies will join forces to push for policies setting a price on carbon emissions to encourage a shift to cleaner energy technologies.
“It is extremely important that international support is building to put a price on carbon emissions that cause global warming,” said Sanders, a member of both the Senate environment and energy committees and the sponsor of legislation to tax carbon.
“The bad news is that Republicans in Congress – most of whom have ignored the overwhelming scientific consensus that global warming is a major threat to our planet –continue to block legislation to address the planetary crisis.” Sanders’ bill, cosponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif), the environment committee chairman, would place a tax on carbon and methane pollution and use the revenue to lower consumers’ bills for new, cleaner sources of energy.
At the United Nations today, the annual General Assembly gathering of more than 100 world leaders heard from President Barack Obama as the world body began to lay a foundation for a new global treaty to reverse the rise of heat-trapping gases.
“As one of the 400,000 people who marched through the streets of New York City on Monday in the People’s Climate March, I appreciate President Obama’s call for the United States to be a leader on climate change. The president can and should do more, but the actions he announced today – like new agreements to reduce methane pollution – are important steps toward tackling the planetary crisis of global warming,” Sanders said.
“This is an international planetary crisis and, for the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must address it,” Sanders said.
Contact: Michael Briggs (202) 224-5141
