So . . . Green! BP & Shell Lobbying For Carbon Tax That Would Eliminate Liability, Clean Power Plan
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Oil giants BP and Shell have each pledged $1 million to Americans for Carbon Dividends (AFCD), a Republican-backed lobbying group under the Climate Leadership Council, to help fund its push for a carbon tax that would return revenue to consumers. ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, and other major corporations have already indicated their support for the proposal, which would impose a tax beginning at $40 per ton and gradually rise. Equal quarterly payments would then be given back to U.S. residents to counter the rising cost of energy.
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The proposal has won support from private industry and from conservative voices. Some Republican lawmakers are growing concerned about their party’s perceived inaction on climate change, at a time when progressive Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are uniting behind proposals like the Green New Deal resolution.
Environmentalists, however, have been quick to point out the benefits to oil companies included in the new carbon pricing proposal. Under the plan, carbon regulations overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be scrapped, with the tax meant to serve as a substitute. That includes things like the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, which has come under fire from the Trump administration. Moreover, the proposal would eliminate a growing source of concern for oil companies — the lawsuits holding them accountable for their contributions to global warming.
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But some progressives say caveats like the kind in AFCD’s plan are not compatible with climate action, including Green New Deal architects. Julian Brave NoiseCat, who directs Green New Deal strategy for the progressive think tank Data for Progress, has expressed skepticism about AFCD’s proposal. Cautioning “don’t believe the hype!” on Twitter, he noted that both BP and ConocoPhillips are among the Climate Leadership Council’s energy founding members. Environmental advocates are skeptical of any carbon tax push backed by oil companies. Moreover, carbon tax efforts that have been more progressive have historically faced hefty opposition from fossil fuel corporations. During the 2018 midterm elections, BP America gave more than $9.5 million to stop a carbon pricing ballot initiative in Washington state, supported by social justice and labor groups, that ultimately failed.
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https://thinkprogress.org/oil-companies-carbon-tax-climate-catch-008f489838dc/
