CITY OF SEATTLE
RESOLUTION __________________
title
A RESOLUTION expressing the Mayor and City Council's opposition to Washington State ballot Initiative 2117 concerning carbon tax credit trading.
body
WHEREAS, Washington State has scheduled Initiative Measure No. 2117, concerning carbon tax credit trading, for a statewide vote for the Washington General Election on November 5, 2024; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2117's ballot summary reads as follows: "This measure would prohibit state agencies from imposing any type of carbon tax credit trading, including "cap and trade" or "cap and tax" programs, regardless of whether the resulting increased costs are imposed on fuel recipients or fuel suppliers. It would repeal sections of the 2021 Washington Climate Commitment Act as amended, including repealing the creation and modification of a "cap and invest" program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by specific entities"; and
WHEREAS, in May 2021, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law the Climate Commitment Act (CCA); and
WHEREAS, according to the Washington Department of Ecology, the CCA caps and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from Washington's largest emitting sources and industries, allowing businesses to find the most efficient path to lower carbon emissions; and
WHEREAS, the CCA works alongside other critical climate policies to help Washington achieve its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent by 2050; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2117 would prohibit state agencies, counties and cities from imposing any type of carbon tax credit trading and repeal the CCA, jeopardizing Washington's ability to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that are leading to dangerous levels of warming on our planet; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2117 would remove funding sources for investments in clean air, clean water, forests, and farmland; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 2117 would allow increased air pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change; and
WHE...
Click here for full text