Rabe on federal climate reform prospects

Commenting to E&E News and to German news Handelsblatt, Barry Rabe weighed in on why Biden's climate reforms have been weakened in a polarized political climate and what can still be achieved.

“A real challenge for the U.S. is if a carbon price is just so challenging politically, regulatory tools can only take place through the Clean Air Act, which is a very brittle process,” Rabe told E&E News. “Then you’re left with investment. Can you produce enough money for a sustained period of time to bridge all those uncertainties?”

Speaking with Handelsblatt, Rabe explained, "This approach is completely new in the USA, we have never done anything like this before. Coming out of Congress, climate reform may be "a lot less ambitious than Biden once promised."

But, he says, "A great law is much more stable and credible than what the next president can undo with the stroke of a pen."

Read the full articles

• ‘The job is not done.’ What the climate deal means for CO2" in E&E News, October 29, 2021.
• "US prestige is at stake" - Biden's ambitious climate plans threaten to fail" in Handelsblatt, October 22, 2021.

Faculty Expert

Barry Rabe

J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Professor of Public Policy

Rabe examines the political feasibility and durability of environmental and energy policy, with a particular emphasis on efforts to address climate change in the U.S. and other federal systems. His most recent books examine the politics of carbon pricing and the limitations of unilateral executive branch policy actions. Current research explores the politics of intensive but short-lived greenhouse gases, such as methane and HFCs. Recent policy engagement includes work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, the Department of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

• Barry Rabe
• energy and environment
• climate action
• Climate Change
• E&E News