eesi-recommendations-to-house-select-climate-crisis-committee-2019.11-21b7d790757c87b8.pdf

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, focusing on decarbonizing transportation, electric power, and buildings, while emphasizing environmental justice, workforce development, and climate resilience.

• EESI recommends that Congress immediately restore Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and promote the use of biofuels and sustainable alternative fuels (SAF) to reduce emissions in the transportation sector, which became the highest-emitting sector in the U.S. in 2017.
• To decarbonize the electric power sector, EESI proposes the establishment of a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) and a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) to ensure national uniformity and accelerate the transition to renewable resources.
• EESI advocates for a goal of net-zero energy (NZE) consumption in new buildings by 2050, suggesting the use of bio-based materials like cross-laminated timber to sequester emissions and the prioritization of retrofitting existing buildings and federal facilities.
• The report emphasizes that environmental justice must be central to decarbonization, recommending that federal agencies be compelled to include environmental justice factors in decision-making and that Congress establish a national climate bank prioritizing marginalized communities.
• EESI suggests a carbon pricing strategy coordinated with sector-specific policies, including a border tax adjustment to prevent 'carbon leakage' and the elimination of approximately $20 billion in annual direct U.S. subsidies to the fossil fuel industry.
• To enhance community resilience, EESI recommends reforming the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to address its solvency crisis and investing in nature-based solutions, such as wetlands and mangroves, which can be more cost-effective than traditional 'gray' infrastructure.
• The document highlights the vulnerability of military installations, noting that half of all bases worldwide are threatened by climate change, and urges the reduction of emissions on these bases to strengthen security.
• EESI recommends that Congress fund R&D for renewable baseload power (such as geothermal and marine energy) and invest in the recycling of rare earth minerals to reduce dependence on imports from China.
• The report calls for a transition to a circular economy for petroleum-based products to minimize resource extraction and reduce plastic pollution, urging Congress to incentivize companies to produce goods that meet reuse and material recovery thresholds.
• EESI urges the U.S. to reestablish global leadership by demonstrating ongoing commitment to the Paris Agreement and utilizing the transition to a low-carbon economy to grow American expertise in clean energy manufacturing.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2019). eesi-recommendations-to-house-select-climate-crisis-committee-2019.11-21b7d790757c87b8.pdf. https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Recommendations-to-House-Select-Climate-Crisis-Committee-2019.11.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. eesi-recommendations-to-house-select-climate-crisis-committee-2019.11-21b7d790757c87b8.pdf. 2019. https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Recommendations-to-House-Select-Climate-Crisis-Committee-2019.11.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=eesi-recommendations-to-house-select-climate-crisis-committee-2019.11-21b7d790757c87b8.pdf |date=22 November 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Recommendations-to-House-Select-Climate-Crisis-Committee-2019.11.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2019eesirecommendationstohouseselectclimatecrisiscommittee20191121b7d790757c87b8pdf, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{eesi-recommendations-to-house-select-climate-crisis-committee-2019.11-21b7d790757c87b8.pdf}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Recommendations-to-House-Select-Climate-Crisis-Committee-2019.11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }