New Report Quantifies Benefits of Adding Smart Growth to Climate Bill

As a new non-partisan analysis of the House climate change bill -- proving that capping CO2 can save money for the poorest fifth of the nation -- continues to make waves on Capitol Hill, it's worth noting that the legislation could yield even greater savings by focusing on reducing transportation-based emissions.

House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA), his climate legislation co-author. Photo: Washington Independent

In a report released Friday, the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) quantifies the benefits of setting tangible goals for reducing the carbon footprint of transportation, which currently accounts for about one-third of total U.S. emissions.

Using smart growth policies to reduce per-capita VMT by 10 percent below 2005 levels would achieve emissions reductions equivalent to taking 35 large coal plants off-line or taking 30 million cars off the road by 2030, according to the CCAP analysis.

The report, viewable in full here, offers some interesting examples of how smart-growth proposals can pay environmental dividends. For example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Energy Agency -- hardly known as bastions of the environmental movement -- have found that emissions reductions of up to 14.5 percent can be achieved at a cost of less than $3 per ton of CO2 simply by encouraging carpooling, telecommuting and eco-driving.

Perhaps the most politically relevant conclusion in the CCAP report, however, deals with a topic very much on the minds of Congress these days: how to push regionally favored industries, from Rep. Collin Peterson's (D-MN) agriculture producers to Rep. Gene Green's (D-TX) oil refiners, to accept their share of the emissions-reduction burden.

After noting that better fuel economy means a 15 percent rise in per-capita VMT over the next two decades would achieve a 14 percent decrease in CO2 (relative to 2005 levels), the CCAP notes that the target needs to be more than double that 14 percent. From the report (emphasis ours):

The CCAP report advocates for setting aside 10 percent of the House climate bill's emissions allocations for smarter transportation planning.

(h/t Kaid Benfield at NRDC)