Testimony of Dr. Jonathan Pershing before the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Legislative Hearing on America’s Climate Security Act of 2007, S. 2191

Dr. Jonathan Pershing of the World Resources Institute provided testimony to the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee supporting the America’s Climate Security Act of 2007 (S. 2191). He argued that the bill's cap-and-trade system would provide a necessary price signal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at modest economic costs while positioning the United States to lead international climate action.

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report from February 2007 concludes that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are "very likely" (greater than 90% probability) responsible for most of the increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century, with current concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide exceeding the natural range of the last 650,000 years.
• To keep global average temperatures below two degrees of warming, the IPCC suggests global emissions must be reduced by 50-85% below 2000 levels by 2050, with global emissions stabilizing by 2035.
• The United States holds a significant historical responsibility for atmospheric greenhouse gases, contributing 28 percent of current emissions despite having only 4.6 percent of the world's population.
• The economic costs of climate change are substantial; a report by Sir Nicolas Stern estimated these costs could range from 5 to 20 percent of global GDP, approximately $6.98 trillion.
• WRI analysis indicates that S. 2191 would subject 82 percent of all U.S. emissions to mandatory reduction obligations, potentially reducing covered emissions from 2005 levels by 17 percent in 2020 and 71 percent by 2050.
• Economic modeling suggests that the impact of S. 2191 on GDP would be minimal; a Nicholas Institute analysis projected that by 2030, GDP under the bill would rise by about 111% from 2005 levels, compared to 112% in a business-as-usual scenario, representing a decline of less than 1% of GDP over two decades.
• S. 2191 includes cost-containment strategies such as a free allocation of 40 percent of the total allowance pool to regulated entities (phased out over 24 years), allowance borrowing and banking, and the creation of a Carbon Market Efficiency Board.

APA

Pershing, J. (n.d.). Testimony of Dr. Jonathan Pershing before the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Legislative Hearing on America’s Climate Security Act of 2007, S. 2191. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-dr-jonathan-pershing-us-senate-environment-and-public-works-committee

Chicago

Pershing, Jonathan. Testimony of Dr. Jonathan Pershing before the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Legislative Hearing on America’s Climate Security Act of 2007, S. 2191. World Resources Institute, n.d. https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-dr-jonathan-pershing-us-senate-environment-and-public-works-committee.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Pershing |first1=Jonathan |title=Testimony of Dr. Jonathan Pershing before the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Legislative Hearing on America’s Climate Security Act of 2007, S. 2191 |publisher=World Resources Institute |url=https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-dr-jonathan-pershing-us-senate-environment-and-public-works-committee |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{pershingndtestimony, author = {Pershing, Jonathan}, title = {{Testimony of Dr. Jonathan Pershing before the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Legislative Hearing on America’s Climate Security Act of 2007, S. 2191}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-dr-jonathan-pershing-us-senate-environment-and-public-works-committee}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }