In 2008, CPC is pursuing research and education focused in the following five areas:

1. Designing a Cost-effective Cap and Trade System

CPC continues to focus on the architecture of a cap and trade system. One issue that will help determine the effectiveness of any cap and trade system is how such a plan would allocate emission allowances. A workable and equitable allowance allocation plan is an essential component of a cap and trade system's architecture – yet to date the choices involved have received precious little attention. CPC is working with economists and policy experts to identify the choices and to encourage an optimal design that will enhance and maximize the use of the allocation system to solve the climate problem. CPC believes that research of this type along with targeted outreach and educational activities to Congress, leading academics, and various stakeholders will significantly increase the chance of enactment of an ambitious and practical emissions reduction program.

2. Strengthening U.S Climate-Energy Research and Development

On August 9, 2007, President Bush signed into law H.R. 2272, the “America Competes Act,” which establishes an Advanced Projects Research Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, charged with leading U.S. R&D efforts to develop transformative climate and energy technologies capable of meeting future climate and energy challenges. CPC played a significant role in interesting Congress in the potential of such an approach to energy R&D, and was one of the few organizations that initially raised the idea of creating an ARPA-E with key members of both the House and Senate. To ensure momentum on this concept, CPC is continuing outreach and educational efforts to build consensus for a restructured climate/energy R&D program. CPC’s goal is to ensure that the R&D issue emerges as a major component of energy and climate discussions.

3. Designing a National Approach to Adaptation

In many places, climate change already is being felt; there is no longer much doubt that it will require societies to adapt to a range of impacts. CPC believes that it is possible to address existing and projected impacts in a way that expands the consensus for national and global emissions reduction efforts, by identifying and clearly articulating the policy and strategic linkages between society’s needs for adaptation and the broader need for emissions reduction. CPC is working with Congressional leaders, including House Natural Resources Chairman, Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), to establish a framework for federal natural resource agencies, such as the National Park Service, to assess impacts of climate change on our natural resources and to develop appropriate responses.

4. Raising Climate Change's Presidential Profile

With a presidential election on the horizon, CPC has been working to raise the political profile of climate change and energy policy. The goal is to ensure that 2008 presidential candidates understand the importance of the climate issue from the voters' perspective. Through CPC's work in New Hampshire leading up to the first in the nation primary, a global warming resolution including a call for a national greenhouse gas reduction strategy, and a restructured national R&D effort was endorsed by 150 New Hampshire town meetings held in 2007.

The next phase of the effort, which we call "Project 150," (a title that refers to the 150 days stretching from the election through the first intense ‘honeymoon’ days of the new Administration), has the goal of assuring that the new Administration comes in on inauguration day with a plan for an ambitious and comprehensive climate initiative. CPC’s strategy focuses on (1) obtaining a commitment to early action from all presidential candidates; (2) outlining the elements of a comprehensive climate initiative to be launched in the 150 days following the presidential election; and (3) developing a detailed early action plan that can support such an initiative.

5. The Arctic Initiative

The Circumpolar Arctic has emerged as the region of the Earth already hardest hit by climate change. Warming in the Arctic is proceeding rapidly – faster, in fact, than the global circulation models had predicted. CPC is working with this situation in two ways: by a) 'buying time" – partnering with the Clean Air Task Force to explore the possibility that the control of various short-term pollutants could allow us to retard the rate of warming in the region; and b) working with the Aspen Institute and the eight Arctic governments to consider cooperative efforts to manage the impacts of Arctic warming and to develop a new approach to sustainable development in this rapidly changing region. For more information about the Arctic, please visit Our Arctic Website.