The Union of Concerned Scientists Climate 2030 Blueprint for the U.S.

The Union of Concerned Scientists 2030 Blueprint asserts that consumers and businesses in every region of the U.S. save billions of dollars under the Blueprint.

The Union of Concerned Scientists recently released The Climate 2030 Blueprint which analyzes the economic and technological feasibility of meeting targets for reducing global warming emissions in the U.S., with a cap set at 26% below 2005 levels by 2020, and 56% below 2005 levels by 2030. The Blueprint suggests that deep emissions cuts can be achieved while saving U.S. consumers and businesses $465 billion in 2030.

Meeting this cap means the United States would limit total emissions to 180,000 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2eq) from 2000 to 2030.   To reach the 2020 and 2030 carbon reduction targets, the Blueprint proposes a comprehensive policy approach (the “Blueprint policies”) that combines an economy-wide cap-and-trade program with complementary policies. This approach finds cost-effective ways to reduce fossil fuel emissions throughout the U.S. economy — including industry, buildings, electricity, and transportation — and to store carbon through agricultural activities and forestry.

The analysis relies primarily on a modified version of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Modeling System, supplemented with an analysis of the impact of greater energy efficiency in industry and buildings by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.   In addition, they worked with researchers at the University of Tennessee to analyze the potential for crops and residues to provide biomass energy.

The analysis argues that the technologies and policies pursued under the Blueprint produce dramatic changes in energy use and cuts in carbon emissions as well as strong economic growth.