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The Partnership for Responsible Growth (PRG) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 2015 to encourage Congress to counter climate change by enacting a revenue-neutral carbon fee. PRG designed a test version of such legislation and has met with more than 200 senators and House members, or their aides, to discuss this concept. The consensus view, PRG has reported, is that such a proposal might be able to pass Congress in 2017 or 2018 but only if the business community provides enough support. Generating such support is now a major priority for this nonprofit.

Founders

The founders were: 1) Walt Minnick, a former Idaho Congressman who also co-founded | SummerWinds Garden Centers and was CEO of Trus Joist Corporation, now a division of | Weyerhaeuser; 2) George T. Frampton, Jr., who chaired the | White House Council on Environmental Quality (1998 – 2000) and served as assistant secretary of the interior (1993 – 1997); and 3) | William C. Eacho, a former U.S. ambassador to Austria (2009 – 2013) who was chairman and CEO of Atlantic Food Services and executive vice president of Alliant Foodservice, Inc.

Concept

Efforts to address climate change have made no progress in Congress in recent years. The Republican majority is composed of lawmakers who either do not believe that climate change is occurring or who have opposed past proposed responses to the problem. PRG’s founders believe that a carbon fee is the fastest and most efficient way to reduce the greenhouse gases (GHG) that scientists say are changing the climate. The group proposes that the fee be assessed where the carbon enters the market (for example, at the mine mouth or oil refinery), and then passed on to the consumer. [1] “You want it to be passed forward, so people will have an economic inducement to drive a cheaper car, or insulate their house and be a little more energy efficient,” says Minnick. [2]

To build support among reluctant Republicans, PRG suggested a revenue-neutral fee with half the proceeds going toward reduction of the corporate tax rate. The group said that most of the rest of the money could compensate low- and lower-middle-income households for the higher energy prices that the fee would cause. PRG describes this as a free-market approach that would promote economic growth. Most political analysts consider this initiative a long shot on Capitol Hill, but the nonprofit believes that in the Congress that convenes in 2017 enough Republicans will see a fee as a better option than EPA regulations and will provide the support needed for passage. [3]

Activities

To deepen its understanding of a carbon fee’s pros and cons and to help shape the group’s legislative initiative, PRG convenes one-day discussions and shorter meetings attended by think tanks, representatives from the business community, conservation groups, and others. In May 2016, under the auspices of the | Aspen Institute, the nonprofit hosted a two-day conference on how the United States, Mexico, and Canada might create a North American carbon-pricing plan. In organizing the event, PRG enlisted three partners: the | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Wilson Center’s | Mexico Institute, and | Columbia’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

PRG became better known in June 2016 when ads that it signed began appearing on the editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal. Two quarter-page ads ran each week for six weeks, explaining the science of climate change, the threats posed, and PRG’s proposed carbon fee. The nonprofit also had ads on Fox TV News during the Republican National Convention July 18-21, 2016, but only in the Washington, D.C., and Cleveland markets.

Funding for this small 501(c)(3) comes from foundations, businesses, and individuals.

The members of PRG’s Advisory Board are | Marc Fasteau, Bob Litterman, Ken Miller, William Nitze, Roger Parkinson, | Ted Roosevelt IV, | Jonathan Rose, Jon Rose, Jim Speyer, and Jennifer von Bismarck.

'''WALT SAID TO ASK GEORGE IF THESE PEOPLE ARE BOARD MEMBERS: David Bonderman, Kim Elliman, Kevin Luzak, Michael Sonnenfeldt, Miles Rubin and Phil Sharp. Possible addition, Walt says: Jim and/or Cathy Stone'''

Notes

[1] Michael Blanding, “Carbon Neutral,” Harvard Business School Alumni, last modified November 17, 2015, https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=4970.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Christopher Flavelle, “A (Not So) Crazy Idea to Sell Republicans a Carbon Tax,” Bloomberg, October 5, 2015, https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2015-10-05/a-not-so-crazy-idea-to-sell-republicans-a-carbon-tax.

References

Blanding, Michael. “Carbon Neutral.” Harvard Business School Alumni. Last modified November 17, 2015. https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=4970.

Flavelle, Christopher. “A (Not So) Crazy Idea to Sell Republicans a Carbon Tax.” Bloomberg, October 5, 2015. https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2015-10-05/a-not-so-crazy-idea-to-sell-republicans-a-carbon-tax.

External Links | The Partnership for Responsible Growth official website