The United States just took a big step in confronting climate change with the passing and signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, arguably the largest single investment in U.S. climate policy to date. It’s historic. But the bill passed with only Democratic support. Republicans, who rejected to the use of the reconciliation process to pass the bill, were unanimously opposed. Was there a realistic pathway to securing Republican votes? And what can be expected if Republicans take one or both Houses of Congress this November? To help unpack those questions and more, New York Times climate reporter and EPIC Journalism Fellow Lisa Friedman sat down with former Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo, who proposed a carbon tax bill and co-founded the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus while in Congress. Carlos is a policy fellow at EPIC this year.

About a year ago, President Biden laid out his climate agenda. That agenda has since been roughly split into two Congressional actions: An infrastructure bill that passed last summer with bipartisan support, and the Build Back Better Act that still sits with the Senate. Recently, EPIC Policy Fellow Heather McTeer Toney, vice president of community engagement for the Environmental Defense Fund, and EPIC Journalism Fellow, Lisa Friedman, a climate policy reporter for The New York Times, sat down to talk about where things stand with climate change in the United States. Key to the discussion was the fact that the communities on the frontlines of climate impacts—often poor and minority communities—are seeing the money trickle down from the infrastructure bill and those communities are putting that money to work in building resiliency. In their eyes, Heather McTeer Toney said, we are already “building back better.”

After half a decade of low oil prices, things have changed pretty dramatically in recent months. Global benchmark oil prices are touching $120 a barrel this week, and gasoline prices in parts of the U.S. are topping out close to $7 a gallon. High prices have become a massive headache for policymakers already worried about rising inflation as the economy tries to restart following two years of pandemic shutdowns. While it is easy to point to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the US and European embargo of Russian oil as the primary cause of high prices, the reality is that the oil market crisis is far bigger and more complex than the Russian situation alone. So how did we get here? What resolves this crisis? And ultimately, what does this mean for the transition to a green economy? To help answer those questions, EPIC’s Executive Director Sam Ori recently sat down with Jeff Currie, global head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs. At Goldman, Jeff spends much of his time researching the oil market and forecasting oil prices to help guide investment strategies. Under his leadership, the commodities research team consistently ranks number one. Jeff is a CNBC Analyst of the Year and all around commodity market guru. And, he got his PhD from the University of Chicago.

Developing countries represent a large source of potential future carbon emissions as they seek to rapidly industrialize their economies. Yet, if the world is to hold future warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, these countries must identify a cleaner model of growth that relies on low- or zero-carbon fuels instead of fossil energy. This tension between maintaining access to inexpensive energy and addressing climate change was on full display last fall when countries met at the COP26 international climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland. India, already the world’s third-biggest emitter, committed that half of its energy come from clean sources by 2030. At the same time, the country pushed for a key change to the final agreement: weakening language from a “phase out” of coal to a “phase down.” India is part of a cohort of countries seeking aid from richer nations to help them make the transition away from fossil fuels. How can developing countries balance their need for reliable energy with goals to transition away from fossil fuels? Are there signs of progress? And, what responsibility do developed nations bear for helping developing countries confront climate change? On May 10, EPIC hosted a conversation on climate policy in the developing world with Indian Member of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi, former U.S. Deputy Climate Envoy Jonathan Pershing, program director of environment at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and EPIC Director Michael Greenstone. The event was moderated by EPIC’s journalism fellow, Lisa Friedman, climate policy reporter for The New York Times. https://epic.uchicago.edu/events/event/can-the-world-phase-out-fossil-fuels-a-look-at-climate-policy-in-the-developing-world/

Energy demand continues to rise amidst impacts from geopolitical events. Yet, the United States remains committed to scaling up action at home and abroad to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Faced with energy security and climate concerns, could now be the time for a price on carbon? Carbon pricing has received considerable bipartisan pushback, with some conservatives arguing it will raise energy costs and some progressives saying it could exacerbate socioeconomic inequalities. But the idea has also gained supporters from both political parties, with Democrats and Republicans mulling the idea as recently as last fall. Economists, meanwhile, are largely united in their belief that carbon pricing is the key to transitioning to a low-carbon future by changing behaviors and incentivizing innovation. Join EPIC for a deep dive conversation into carbon pricing, and how a policy could be structured to help consumers, the climate and energy security. The event will include bp’s head of state government affairs and third-party advocacy, Phil Cochrane, as well as EPIC’s 2021-2022 policy fellows Heather McTeer Toney, vice president of community engagement for the Environmental Defense Fund, and former Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), who proposed a carbon tax-gas tax swap when he was in Congress. The event will be moderated by EPIC’s journalism fellow, Lisa Friedman, climate policy reporter for The New York Times.

Last November, the international community concluded its 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. Reviews were mixed. Among its successes, COP26 concluded the Paris “rulebook,” adopted a consensus decision on next steps, and produced a series of multilateral commitments on limiting methane emissions and deforestation, strengthening climate finance, and more. A surprise joint declaration between the United States and China offered hope that the world’s two largest economies and carbon emitters can still work together. At the same time, despite substantial progress since adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the world remains off track to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.  Key countries have not yet aligned their “nationally determined contributions” with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal. How should the world view COP26? Is progress being made, or are countries avoiding the tough choices? How essential is the United States? And where do international climate negotiations go from here? On February 1, EPIC hosted Sue Biniaz, Deputy to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, who played a critical role in both the forming of the Paris Agreement and in the latest talks. Biniaz talked with EPIC journalism fellow and The New York Times climate reporter Lisa Friedman, who was in Glasgow covering the conference. They discussed the successes, setbacks and steps forward. https://epic.uchicago.edu/events/event/an-insiders-look-at-cop26-successes-setbacks-and-the-future-of-international-climate-diplomacy/

The federal oil and gas leasing process plays a critical role in deciding whether, where and when oil and gas resources on public lands are developed, the revenue the government takes in, and the extent to which the local environment is protected. But the process is due for an update. Recognizing the need for reforms, President Joe Biden temporarily suspended oil and gas lease sales in January while his administration could review the program—a review that is still ongoing. On November 15, EPIC hosted Interior Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau for a conversation on the future of oil and gas drilling on federal lands, moderated by The Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin. Harris Public Policy’s Ryan Kellogg, who provided recommendations to reform the process with Booth scholar Thom Covert earlier this year, joined the conversation.

Air pollution is the single greatest threat to human health globally, having a more devastating impact on life expectancy than communicable diseases like tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, behavioral killers like cigarette smoking, and even war. According to recent data from EPIC’s Air Quality Life Index, or AQLI, people living in the most polluted regions of the world could see their lives cut short by 5 years or more. To dive deeper into the problem of air pollution and what policymakers are doing to confront it, EPIC will occasionally feature conversations with the AQLI’s director, Ken Lee, and various government officials, advocates, health experts and others dedicated to reducing air pollution in the countries where they live. For our first conversation in this series, Lee talks with Gaurav Gogoi, an Indian member of Parliament who has been a vocal advocate for clean air.

Climate change is a top priority for President Joe Biden as he prepares to meet the world at the next international climate summit, COP26, in November. But how big of a priority is it for the American public? How much would they pay out of their own wallets to confront climate change? And, where do they stand on key issues? On October 26, EPIC hosted a conversation with the 2021-2022 Visiting Fellows in Policy Practice Carlos Curbelo and Heather McTeer Toney. Curbelo and McTeer Toney dug into the results of an EPIC/AP-NORC poll conducted to track opinions on central topics shaping the energy and climate landscape in the United States. EPIC Director Michael Greenstone joined the conversation, which was moderated by The Atlantic’s Rob Meyer. Read more about the event: https://epic.uchicago.edu/events/event/where-do-americans-stand-on-climate-and-energy-policy/

You’ll be hard pressed to find a climate agenda that doesn’t include policies to encourage energy efficiency. It makes sense. Reducing energy consumption while lowering households’ electricity bills and greenhouse gas emissions at the same time—a win for everyone, right? While the concept of doing more with less energy is appealing, research is piling up that these policies often don’t deliver as promised and can be expensive ways to reduce carbon emissions. This as the Senate’s infrastructure bill provides an historic investment into one of the central energy efficiency programs researchers have pointed to as underdelivering. Today, I’m talking with Harris Public Policy assistant professor Fiona Burlig about this line of research and ways policymakers could improve the programs. https://epic.uchicago.edu/area-of-focus/making-energy-efficiency-work/

Meeting the Biden administration’s goal of transitioning to a carbon-free power sector will mean accelerating a shift away from coal that is already on its way. In our fourth episode in the series, Rob talks with Mark Templeton, the director of the University of Chicago Law School’s Abrams Environmental Clinic, about the many levers that could be used to accelerate the transition from coal and ensure coal communities aren’t left behind during this transition.