Friday, June 05, 2020

Bipartisan bill aims to help farmers profit from carbon credits

A bipartisan group of four senators introduced a bill Thursday, June 4, that would make it easier for farmers to make money from reducing greenhouse-gas emissions on their land and selling carbon credits. The bill is sponsored by Mike Braun, R-Ind.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

"In what might be considered a stunning trifecta for a climate bill in Congress, the Growing Climate Solutions Act lists significant support among a cross-section of agricultural groups, major corporations and environmental organizations," Chris Clayton reports for DTN/The Progressive Farmer. "The bill does not address broad fundamental challenges to lowering greenhouse-gas emissions nationally. But for farmers and owners of major forestry operations nationally, the legislation does create a certification program at USDA that would help address technical barriers for farmers and landowners who want to participate in carbon-credit markets."

Who's buying the credits? "California and 10 Northeastern states have set up markets for buying and selling credits for the right to emit carbon into the atmosphere, effectively putting a cap on those states’ contributions to climate change," Dino Grandoni and Paulina Firozi report for The Washington Post. "Other voluntary markets let eco-conscious consumers pay money to offset emissions from airline travel and other activities."

Braun said the program could help farmers who are struggling right now because of low prices and other factors during the coronavirus pandemic, the Post reports.

"The bill also promotes access to technical assistance, comparable to what USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service provides now for conservation practices," Clayton reports.

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