Category: Inflation_Act_2022_Greenhouse_Gas Legislation_Key

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed H.R. 5376 (P.L. 117-169), a budget reconciliation measure commonly referred to as the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” (IRA). Among other provisions, IRA includes a charge on methane emissions that is nearly identical to the methane emissions charge in the House version of H.R. 5376, often referred to as the Build Back Better Act, which passed the House on November 19, 2021. Methane (or CH4) is the primary component of natural gas. When extracted from geologic formations or captured by other means, it can be used as either a fuel or as a feedstock for the chemical industry.

Expected growth of electric vehicle (EV) sales has led to concern about securing mineral inputs used in EV batteries. Various countries and companies have stated policies to accelerate the adoption of EVs in the transportation sector. Such public and private commitments suggest that EV sales could continue into the expected future, with some estimates indicating 200 million
total EVs sold by 2030. More than 16 million total EVs have been sold worldwide, with about 6.6 million EVs sold in 2021. The U.S. EV market is small when compared to those in China and Europe: new U.S. EV registrations were slightly less than 10% of new global EV registrations in 2021, while registrations in China were 50% of the global total and European registrations were 35%.

This table includes provisions with the potential to provide federal benefits to communities with EJ concerns. Direct benefits, where the statute requires benefits to be implemented in or directed towards low-income, tribal, or overburdened communities, are in green or indicated by a (D). Indirect benefits are in orange or indicated by an (I).

On July 27, 2022, the United States Senate released legislative
text for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which includes $369
billion in funding for climate and clean energy provisions.
These emissions-reducing provisions run the gamut from
clean energy and electric vehicle tax credits to large-scale
investments in domestic manufacturing of clean technologies
and environmental justice. The IRA also requires auctions for
oil and gas on federal lands and waters prior to auctions for
renewable energy projects and requires completion of several
2022 lease auctions that were previously cancele

The greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere trap radiant energy, warming earth’s surface
and oceans. Scientific assessments conclude that GHGs very likely have been the main driver of
warming of the earth’s lower atmosphere since 1979. The most recent global assessment
projected that surface temperature would continue to rise until at least mid-century even under
the lowest GHG emission scenarios considered.

Projecting future climate change, and what drives it, is difficult,with many uncertainties. Computer models, however, can be useful tools for exploring the long-term implications of climate change and evaluating policy options. For example, models can help construct plausible scenariosoffuturegreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on socioeconomic, environmental, and technological trends and drivers.

On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order (E.O.) 13990, “Protecting Public Health and the Environment andRestoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis.” Itcontains directives to update the social cost of greenhouse gases (SC-GHG), a toolthat agencies have typically used to estimate the benefits of GHG reductions.

Our Children’s Trust has supported youth plaintiffs in Washington since 2011, most recently in the youth-led constitutional climate case, Aji P. v. State of Washington. Thirteen youth plaintiffs from across the state of Washington filed Aji P. v. State of Washington was filed in King County Superior Court on February 16, 2018.

Spurred by market challenges, the Hill has seen a historic influx of big bills. Keep up on all the latest developments with our legislative tracker.

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities.