Contributor: Sarah Severn

The proposed Clean Fuel Standard for Washington is well-designed to achieve two vital objectives:  the reduction of greenhouse gas pollutants that cause climate change, and the expansion of in state production of low carbon fuels.  It's a triple win for economic, environmental and energy security goals. 
 
During my 20 plus years at Nike Inc, before I moved to Washington State  a large portion of my work was focused on helping Nike reduce its greenhouse gas footprint across multiple pathways. I also led the establishment of Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy. Those two decades showed me how many businesses, not just Nike, have stepped up to embrace clean energy, and yet time and again I witnessed fossil fuel interests get in the way of genuine progress, particularly in the area of policy.  I am seeing that same pattern repeat itself here in Washington State. Meanwhile businesses that are trying to deploy clean energy or provide innovative, low carbon solutions at a local level are being ignored and the health of our citizens is being compromised.  
 
A Clean Fuel Standard is an important step in the direction of a fossil free future. It would create substantial opportunities to expand agricultural jobs in rural counties producing sustainable biomass feedstocks including canola, camelina and animal fats.   In addition, low carbon fuels increasingly can be produced from waste oils (biodiesel), separated municipal solid wastes (ethanol and drop in fuels), and dairy manure and waste organics (renewable natural gas).  The increasing demand for these waste-derived fuels reduces landfilling, nutrient waste run-offs, and other negative environmental consequences, and transforms waste into feedstock.
 
We know this will work. California’s low carbon fuel program has been in place for five years, has reduced 10 million metric tons of carbon pollution, and is invisible to its citizens.  Based on a recent status review completed by the University of California at Davis, there is ample supply of low carbon fuels and California’s program is currently costing citizens less than half a penny per gallon of gasoline. 

Over the long-term, a Clean Fuel Standard will save Washingtonians millions of dollars by creating new jobs in the state, reducing demand for gasoline, enabling the production of fuel from waste and agricultural by-products, and providing a market window for electric vehicles that cost consumers less on a per mile basis. My own very affordable Smart fortwo, zero emissions electric car achieves 3.7miles per Kwhr. That’s costing me about 70 cents a day to drive an average of 30 miles, a lot less than the gasoline version, and with vastly reduced maintenance costs. It has a lot of fans amongst the local community here.

Ultimately we need consistency across the West Coast region. OR and CA both have low carbon fuel programs and have managed to resist efforts by the oil industry to derail them. Governor Kate Brown signed the clean fuels bill into law in March, despite attacks by the oil industry. The Western States Petroleum Association even wrote the framework for a clean fuels replacement proposal and are suing in federal court to block implementation. For now the bill stands.. 

In February of this year Ryan Deckert of Oregon Business Association (OBA) said “The Clean Fuels Program meets the test of incenting economic development here in Oregon. California's program has attracted more than $5 billion in the clean transportation industry. Oregon should work to capitalize on the same benefits of innovation.”  Washington business groups should show the same level of long term thinking and resist oil industry scare tactics.  Choosing between clean fuels and a transportation package is a false choice. We can and should have both. 

Sarah Severn
Originally posted on ASBC website.

In October 2014, 100 companies joined together and launched the Washington Climate Declaration, a state level version of the national Climate Declaration created by CERES. Since launching, that number has increased to 185 signatories, including several business associations including ASBC, who believe that taking action on climate just makes good business sense.

Collectively, we are known as Washington Business for Climate Action. Our leadership team is made up of business people from across Washington State and our mission is to engage Washington businesses by providing opportunities for education, innovation, and advocacy on climate and energy that meet the needs of a diverse range of business sectors.

WBCA is also linked to a broader effort in the state - the Alliance for Jobs and Clean Energy. This is a fast growing coalition of diverse constituencies that includes business, labor, communities of color, health, faith based groups and environmental NGOs. We are uniting to support reducing carbon pollution and promote just and sustainably shared prosperity.

Meanwhile, the Washington legislature is stalled over HB 1314, Governor Inslee’s bill that would introduce a cap and trade system and put a price on carbon. The initial version of the bill did not make it into the House budget, and a revised version is now under consideration.

While many businesses have testified in favor of capping and pricing carbon pollution, the prospects for HB 1374 still appear cloudy, due to a divided legislature. Therefore, the next step is likely to involve developing an initiative for the people to vote on. There are good indications from prior polls that this would be popular with voters.

When it comes to setting a price on carbon, business appears to generally fall into one of two camps:

The Business as Usual voice 

• Washington State is already clean (referring to our current abundance of hydro power),
• State level action is irrelevant - we need to wait for national and international level action, and
• We are already investing in reducing emissions/clean energy and we should get credit for that.

The Breakthrough Business voice 

• Reliance on hydro gives us a false sense of security in light of diminishing snowpack. We need to grow all forms of clean energy,
• Waiting for national and international action is not leadership, and does not position us to take advantage of economic opportunities, and
• We need a price on carbon to attract impact investors to the table to grow jobs and accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy.
  
  

ASBC is uniquely positioned to support the work of WBCA and the Alliance. Washington State will need to synchronize with other jurisdictions, including other countries. There is already strong momentum here on the west coast. California and British Columbia have instituted cap and trade and a carbon tax, respectively, and when Oregon and Washington join them, the fifth largest economy in the world will have a price on carbon. That should send a clear message to the other Washington that, as my countryman Winston Churchill said “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

Sarah Severn is a board member of ASBC. After 21 years at Nike Inc., she relocated to Washington State. She is currently consulting and acting as a coordinator for Washington Business for Climate Action.