Fighting Global Warming with Energy Saving Needs Rethinking

As Congress considers climate change policies, policymakers would do well to take into account the link between energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This linkage means that energy-saving materials will play a vital role in helping the U.S. reduce its GHG “footprint.
A wide range of potential energy-based reforms could enable the United States to continue to reduce its GHG emissions without unnecessary and disastrous economic consequences. Policies should encourage development of new sources of lower-carbon energy supplies, especially natural gas; provide sufficient time to bring enabling energy technologies to market; drive significant government-sponsored research, development and deployment of lower carbon technologies; and link U.S. implementation of a compulsory climate program on actions taken by other major-emitting nations.

We’ve made unprecedented strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our industry’s own operations. Since 1990, our industry’s absolute GHG emissions are down 10 percent, putting American chemistry ahead of the targets set in the Kyoto Protocol. In that time period, our industry’s greenhouse gas intensity is down by 30.6 percent.

Climate change is a global issue, but the U.S. does not need to wait until other major-emitting nations act. We should begin to implement policies now to bring vital lower carbon energy technologies to market.

Senators Bingaman and Domenici, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, understand what needs to be done and are holding a hearing today to look at energy policies that could enable a transition to a lower-carbon economy. Chairman Dingell of the House Energy and Commerce Committee will soon follow suit. We welcome their examination of energy issues, so critical to climate policy development.