Obama Can Move On Climate Change Without Congress

President Obama can move ahead on his promises from his Inaugural Address last year, and while action from Congress is desirable, it is not necessary:

Despite meeting fierce opposition from the GOP in 2013, a group of clean energy experts, business leaders and former government officials believe President Obama’s climate agenda has been and will continue to be successful in the coming year.

Obama can advance key measures in the battle against climate change with or without Congress, according to a report released Tuesday — spearheaded by former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.

Ritter met with the administration last week to discuss the 207-page report, which includes roughly 200 recommendations on how Obama can utilize his executive authority to push clean energy standards that are in line with the his climate plan.

None of the actions that President Obama can take will work as well as putting a price on greenhouse gas emissions, but collectively they can make a difference.

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.