FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, January 17, 2019

CONTACT: Ahmed Elsayed, 301-500-8642, ahmed@johnkdelaney.com, press@johnkdelaney.com

Delaney Applauds Economists’ Statement Calling for a Carbon Tax

Delaney calls for a carbon tax as centerpiece of Green New Deal

FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS, MD – A group of 27 Nobel laureates, four former Fed Chairs, and 15 former Chairs of Economic Advisers have published a joint statement arguing that “a carbon tax offers the most cost-effective lever to reduce carbon emissions at the scale and speed that is necessary.”

“Putting a price on carbon is the most effective tool we have to tackle the massive threat of climate change,” said John Delaney. “A carbon tax will change behavior, spur massive new innovation in clean energy, and produce dividends that can be returned directly back to people. There is bipartisan support for this approach and it is very encouraging to see many of the world’s leading economists unite behind this idea.

“As Democrats and climate advocates, we can’t turn this into an effort to move the goalposts. We need to unite behind a solution that will work and a solution that can win the support of a broad coalition – that’s what we’re going to need to take a big step forward. A carbon tax should be the centerpiece of the Green New Deal.”

In December, Delaney was a lead cosponsor on the first bipartisan carbon tax bill in a decade, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, legislation that will reduce carbon emissions by almost 40% in 12 years and by over 90% by 2050. The bill puts a price on carbon pollution and returns 100% of the revenue back to the American people through a dividend. Delaney first filed his own carbon tax legislation in 2015. In 2017, Delaney won the Climate Leadership Award from the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

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