Energy Security and Climate Initiative
How will the election impact US engagement on climate change?
Webinar: Confronting climate change in the global COVID-19 recovery
Climate threats and climate justice: Action and adaptation for sustainable development
Todd Stern
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Energy Security and Climate Initiative
David G. Victor
Nonresident Senior Fellow - Foreign Policy, Global Economy and Development, Energy Security and Climate Initiative
[On partisan tensions and Congressional Republicans not keeping up with public concern on climate change] I don't see sweeping climate legislation.
[On decarbonizing the heavy transport industry and the shift to electric delivery vehicles for e-commerce] The last-mile delivery is actually a fairly easy usage to electrify. It also has monetary advantages. The vehicles are used really heavily — on the road every day, running around all day — and electricity is a cheaper fuel than gasoline or diesel. Those vehicles are likely to be more expensive up front, but they’re also likely to pay for themselves.
[On the EU's proposed tax on high carbon imports] There's some concern that U.S. industry could also get caught up ... because we don't have a carbon price on industry in the United States, and we're not likely to have one in the future ... When you start getting into the details, it's an absolute bear to implement. But nonetheless Europe seems quite serious about it.
