Environment Environmental policy is at the center of global policymaking. In the face of climate change and natural crises, countries rich and poor are seeking to institute long-term policies that will reduce carbon emissions and increase renewable sources of energy. Efforts advancing these changes range from local to international. It is often the case that national and international bodies set benchmarks for environmental change, forcing state and local governments to create mechanisms within which the prescribed mechanisms can be met.

Policies within this sector:
"Jumpstarting a Clean Energy Revolution" proposed by The Breakthrough Institute, Josh Freed, Avi Zevin, and Jesse Jenkins
Background:

The Breakthrough Institute, a California think-tank, proposes that the Obama administration invest of the infrastructure for clean energy research. More specifically, Breakthrough proposes that the Obama administration devote $15 Billion to Research and Design, and officially establish National Institutes of Energy, which would center the development and deployment of clean fuels.

Loan Guarantees for Nuclear Plant Construction proposed by President Barack Obama, The White House
Background:

The Obama administration, in its attempt to promote the use of clean energy, proposes an expansion of the federal government's loan guarantee program for the construction of nuclear plants. The proposal is part of the president's annual budget, and comes on the heels of an endorsement of nuclear energy in Obama's State of the Union address.

EPA Smog Standard Proposal (2009) proposed by Environmental Protection Agency
Background:

States and environmental activists have challenged as too weak the previous EPA regulations on ground-level ozone, or smog. The Obama administration has responded to these criticisms by proposing a more stringent cap on the level of smog.The new proposal is estimated to mitigate public health issues that result from exposure to smog, and to protect ecosystems at risk due to smog concentrations.

Copenhagen Accord proposed by 5 Nations, UN Framework on Climate Change, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Background:

The December 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference produced no consensus agreement. Five nations -- Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the U.S. -- signed the limited Copenhagen Accord, which underscored broad policy objectives for combating climate change. Most notable about the agreement is how little it prescribes.

Green Bank proposed by Center for American Progress, John Podesta and Karen Kornbluh
Background:

Recognizing the need to lift new green projects off the ground, the Center for American Progress proposes a Green Bank  that would focus specifically on financing private clean energy initiatives.  The proposal is meant to advance the United States toward a green economy without undue dependence on public funding.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey) proposed by Rep. Henry Waxman, Rep. Ed Markey
Background:

Action to promote cleaner and more efficient ways to use energy is near the top of the Democratic agenda in Congress and the White House.  This proposal captures a near-comprehensive approach to combating global warming and its effects, promoting environmental innovation and job creation, and developing a dependable approach to energy consumption.

Make Clean Energy Cheaper proposed by The Brookings Institution, Mark Muro and Teryn Norris
Background:

The Brookings Institution -- in collaboration with Breakthrough Generation founder Teryn Norris and Yale Environment 360 -- sets forth a new environmental research agenda to lower the cost of innovative fuels.  Beyond a carbon tax, this proposal details how actors in government and in academia can join forces to integrate low-cost fuel into the larger economy.

Smart Growth proposed by Smart Growth Network, Sam Schiller
Background:

The most recent environmental policy debate has focused on promoting new energy technologies and innovative building techniques.  The Smart Growth Plan stresses the urgency of environmental decay in proposing a new model of community formation.  It argues that America will only be able to seriously address the environmental issues that it faces once its citizens begin to organize themselves more sustainably.

EU Climate and Energy Plan proposed by European Union
Background:

After a diplomatic conference in Brussels among EU heads of state, the European Parliament ratified a climate and energy plan in December 2008.

California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 proposed by California State Assembly and the State Air Resources Board
Background:

The 2006 California Plan was proposed by the Speaker of the California State Assembly, Fabian Nunez, and later signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Bill itself does not outline specifics, but delegates the creation of an action plan to the State Air Resources Board. The Board’s scoping plan was approved in 2008 and is considered an amendment to the 2006 California Plan.

Green Recovery Program proposed by Center for American Progress
Background:

The Center for American Progress, in conjunction with the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts, proposed The Green Recovery Program in September 2008 to meet the country’s exigent environmental and economic needs.

The New Energy for America Plan (The Obama Plan) proposed by Barack Obama for President
Background:

Barack Obama proposed the New Energy for America Plan during his victorious campaign for president in 2008. 

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 proposed by The United States Congress
Background:

The 2007 Energy Bill was an omnibus legislative compromise between the House, Senate and White House. The Energy Bill was largely a creation of the Senate. The House proposed an omnibus energy package, but it failed in the Senate over its attempt to repeal tax subsidies for the oil and natural gas industries. The Senate proposal leaves the subsidies in place.

Policies within this sector:
"Jumpstarting a Clean Energy Revolution" proposed by The Breakthrough Institute, Josh Freed, Avi Zevin, and Jesse Jenkins
Loan Guarantees for Nuclear Plant Construction proposed by President Barack Obama, The White House
EPA Smog Standard Proposal (2009) proposed by Environmental Protection Agency
Copenhagen Accord proposed by 5 Nations, UN Framework on Climate Change, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference
Green Bank proposed by Center for American Progress, John Podesta and Karen Kornbluh
The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey) proposed by Rep. Henry Waxman, Rep. Ed Markey
Make Clean Energy Cheaper proposed by The Brookings Institution, Mark Muro and Teryn Norris
Smart Growth proposed by Smart Growth Network, Sam Schiller
EU Climate and Energy Plan proposed by European Union
California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 proposed by California State Assembly and the State Air Resources Board
Green Recovery Program proposed by Center for American Progress
The New Energy for America Plan (The Obama Plan) proposed by Barack Obama for President
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 proposed by The United States Congress