Recent Projects

Today, Policy Integrity, with five national environmental organizations offered to senior officials in the Obama Administration recommendations on how the social cost of carbon (SCC) should be presented in greenhouse gas regulations.

Policy Integrity submitted two sets of comments regarding the federal government’s proposed regulations to control the emissions and fuel economy standards of America’s fleet of light-duty vehicles (cars, SUV’s and pick-ups but not larger trucks).

A cap-and-refund approach to climate change will require that all households be transferred their portion of the proceeds from the auction of carbon allowances in a timely and cost effective manner. Policy Integrity conducted analysis of the refund can be administered and released a fact sheet finding that the cost of getting the refund to American individuals and families will be relatively modest.

In response to widespread concern about the economic effects of climate change legislation, Policy Integrity conducted a survey to determine the views of top economists about the wisdom of pursuing greenhouse gas limits. Questionnaires were circulated to every economist who had published a climate change related article in a top-20 economics journal over the past 10 years.

Changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard program were proposed by EPA in response to directives from Congress—if adopted, the rules will require that a higher percentage of transportation fuel sold in the United States be derived from renewable sources, such as corn‐based ethanol or biomass‐based diesel.

Policy Integrity filed a legal petition with the EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to propose and adopt regulations instituting a cap-and-trade system to control greenhouse gases emissions from fuels used in vehicles. This petition takes aim at emissions from all vehicles, which account for 36% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

Policy Integrity submitted comments to EPA in support of the agency’s proposed findings that motor vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases contribute to dangerous air pollution. The comments also highlight some important issues for the agency to consider as it moves forward and call EPA’s attention to some legal obligations that will not be satisfied by the proposed endangerment findings alone.

Policy Integrity released a letter of support for HR 1862. This bill, known as the Cap and Dividend Act of 2009, proposes a system of curbing greenhouse gas emissions that auctions carbon allowances and refunds the proceeds to American households.