Make polluters pay: support a price on carbon

Campaign launched with
Citizens' Climate Lobby

New research shows America needs carbon pricing

The Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution found that a modest carbon tax, alongside our current climate policy initiatives, would put the United States on track to decrease emissions by 47% by 2030. That gets us even closer to the 50–52% target.

Charging polluters will change the trajectory

A carbon tax is a fee paid to a government for every unit of carbon emitted by burning fossil fuels. The goal of carbon pricing is to shift the responsibility to the polluters. When producers have to pay for each tonne of CO₂ they emit, they have an economic incentive to shift away from fossil fuels, improve their energy efficiency, and invest in low-carbon technology.

Carbon taxes work. Studies in Sweden, with one of the highest carbon taxes in the world, found that emissions dropped 11% annually—and more than half of the decline can be attributed to the country's carbon tax. According to World Bank, there are more than 30 carbon tax programs in effect right now, a sign that these mechanisms are gaining momentum.

Despite being the top producer and consumer of oil and natural gas, the United States is not doing enough to protect our environment. We need to tax corporate producers to make a long-term difference.

Carbon pricing can improve our health and save lives

Air pollution from fossil fuels, and its impact on our health, is worse than we thought.

The recent State of the Air report found that nearly 4 in 10 Americans live with unhealthy levels of air pollution—and climate change is making it worse. Higher, drier temperatures and more stagnation events are causing more unhealthy ozone days than usual.

Climate and Your Health - YouTube
Climate and Your Health

The report made it clear that we should address climate change to reduce our short-term and long-term exposure to pollution and its effects. Fortunately, a carbon price is estimated to save 4.5 million American lives over the next 50 years by helping restore clean air across the country. Over time, carbon pricing also provides an economic incentive to invest in renewable energy and to retire coal plants.

The history and potential of carbon pricing in the United States

Carbon pricing has been a topic of discussion in Congress for several years, yet it has struggled to gain enough legislative traction. For example, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R.5744) has recently been reintroduced in Congress, and would charge corporate polluters a fee for their carbon emissions then gives that money to Americans in the form of monthly carbon cash back payments.

One major critique of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act was that taxing polluters would ultimately lead to rising prices for the consumers. However, studies show that monthly carbon cash back payments can cover the increased costs for 85% of American households, making the transition both fair and feasible for most people, including low-income and middle-income families.

Carbon pricing is the most cost-effective way to cut emissions, due to the financial incentives of reducing pollution. Companies are motivated to operate as efficiently as possible, cutting emissions to save money and improve their competitiveness. For example, a factory might invest in cleaner technology if it becomes cheaper than paying the carbon tax.

Email your Congress members in support of carbon pricing

When constituents actively engage with their representatives, it holds elected officials accountable for their actions and decisions. By emailing your Congress members, you remind them of their responsibility to protect both the public and the environment. You also show your support for carbon pricing, which can be combined with the Inflation Reduction Act and action from the Environmental Protection Agency to:

• Encourage systemic change toward clean energy
• Significantly cut additional climate pollution at the source
• Result in the most economical way to cut emissions

Join the campaign, spread the word, and make your voice heard. Make polluters pay: support a price on carbon!

Our advocacy partner

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a climate change organization that exists to create the political will for a livable world by enabling individual breakthroughs in the exercise of personal and political power. They operate in 70 countries around the world, pushing for countries to price carbon. In the US, their work includes building support for a price on carbon, clean energy permitting reform, building electrification and efficiency, and forest conservation legislation.