Tell Our Senators to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Impact

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

A new plan to hold the largest polluters accountable for climate change could fund the solutions we need — but we need your help to make this plan a reality.

“Make Polluters Pay,” introduced by U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), would make the largest fossil fuel companies pay into a fund that would aid the transition to renewable energy and help climate-impacted communities.¹

This plan would make sure the American people are no longer bearing the cost of climate change alone. Instead, the megacorporations responsible for the most pollution will finally pay for their own mess.

Go to https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=47207 to tell our U.S. senators to hold polluters accountable by including “Make Polluters Pay” in the reconciliation package.

The fossil fuel industry has already profited off of direct government subsidies for decades, enjoying tax breaks and waived fees for use of federal lands and waters.²

These companies and their climate-polluting practices are damaging our communities and planet, but they have yet to take responsibility for their pollution and its effects.

If we can convince the Senate to include this plan in the Build Back Better Act, the policy could raise $500 billion for a new climate fund over the next 10 years. This is crucial for transitioning to clean, renewable energy, and for helping communities impacted by extreme weather events and other disasters fueled by the climate crisis.³

We need your help to make sure these top polluters are held accountable. Join us by supporting “Make Polluters Pay” and building a climate-resilient world.

Passing “Make Polluters Pay” would finally hold these companies accountable for the real damage their greenhouse gas pollution has caused, from floods and wildfires to the disastrous health and economic impact facing communities.⁴

With this plan in place, the top polluting companies will finally be the ones footing the bill, not vulnerable Americans. From generous subsidies to weak regulations, we’ve given the fossil fuel industry more than what’s fair.⁵ It’s time to balance the scales and make these companies give back.

This could be our best shot to make the biggest polluters pay — tell your senators to back the “Make Polluters Pay” plan today.

1. “Van Hollen leads Senate Democrats in announcing new legislation to make polluters pay for climate damage,” Office of Senator Van Hollen, August 4, 2021.
2. Karen C. Sokol, “The policy significance of the Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act,” The Hill, August 12, 2021.
3. “Van Hollen leads Senate Democrats in announcing new legislation to make polluters pay for climate damage,” Office of Senator Van Hollen, August 4, 2021.
4. “Van Hollen leads Senate Democrats in announcing new legislation to make polluters pay for climate damage,” Office of Senator Van Hollen, August 4, 2021.
5. Karen C. Sokol, “The policy significance of the Polluters Pay Climate Fund Act,” The Hill, August 12, 2021.