Bernie Sanders releases aggressive plan on climate

WASHINGTON — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is rolling out a plan to slow the effect of climate change, pledging to cut U.S. carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

The Democratic presidential candidate said in a proposal released Monday that he would seek to impose a tax on carbon dioxide pollution, long a nonstarter with majority Republicans in Congress, and aim to slash carbon pollution in the U.S. by 80 percent by 2050 compared with levels in 1990. The proposal, he said, would put “people before the profits of polluters.”

Sanders has made efforts to reduce global warming a cornerstone of his presidential campaign, and his 16-page proposal, released as negotiators meet at the U.N. climate conference in Paris, provides the first extensive details on how he would seek to address it.

Sanders’ plan sets goals of creating a 100 percent clean-energy system sustained by wind and solar power but does not specify a timetable for doing so. It estimated the clean-energy sector would create 10 million jobs.

His plan would seek to repeal billions in tax subsidies to oil, gas and other fossil fuel producers, which President Obama has unsuccessfully sought throughout his presidency.