In the waning hours of the 2021 session and the day after Earth Day, the Washington House of Representatives passed the Climate Commitment Act in a floor vote of 54-43. Today, the Senate concurred in the House’s amendments, sending the bill to Governor Inslee’s desk for his signature.
Once signed into law, Washington will have a firm statewide cap on climate pollution, covering 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions for the state.
Support for this historic policy is broad and diverse. Key leaders lent their voices in celebration of the pending law:
“Today, I want to honor and thank my teachers and heroes, Quinault President Joe DeLaCruz and Nisqually visionary Billy Frank Jr., for laying the groundwork for us to reach this day — the day the Washington State House of Representatives finally boldly confronted the existential threat of climate change. Our collective spirit soars for the ancestors whose example we have finally heeded, and for our youth and children who deserve to live in this beautiful and blessed land the way the Creator intended it.”
““This landmark bill creates two programs: a cap and investment program and an air quality regulatory program poised to reduce health-harming pollution in communities overburdened with pollution for decades. This dual-program component ensures we will reduce all types of emissions, invests in natural climate solutions, and helps create a future that’s more resilient and built on a foundation of environmental justice. None of this would have been possible without the engagement of Tribal nations and Black- and Latino-led stakeholder organizations from every corner of our state.”
“Historically, American society has failed to make the connection in terms of the direct impact of environmental injustices, including climate change, on our own lives, families, and communities, all of whom depend on the physical environment and its bounty. Today, with this bill, Washington state is taking meaningful steps to change that dangerous trajectory. We are going to leave our children a far better planet than the one we all inherited.”
“ “Washington leaders and grassroots movements have tried for nearly two decades to pass meaningful, comprehensive climate change policy to mitigate this existential threat. This year, we are seizing this opportunity to act on this life-or-death issue that disproportionately impacts, impoverishes, and kills communities of color. We are finally making real progress.””
“We are the home of technology innovation, global agricultural and timber products, aviation, coffee, maritime, trade and so much more. And we are home of climate action. We are the home of a science-based net-zero 2050 future and clean energy and good jobs—not just for the technology elite, but for middle-class working people. We are the state—this is the Legislature—that is translating Paris Accord global aspirations into policy and political reality on the ground...This is an extraordinary step forward on the moral, economic and social issue of our time.”
“This session, my highest priority is to build policies and tools that will slow down catastrophic climate changes and address the historic and ongoing pollution that continues to disproportionately impact communities of color, low income communities and tribes. A just transition requires a strong cap on carbon pollution and a price on carbon to accelerate strategic investments in reducing carbon emissions, cleaning up our air and water, and adapting our transportation systems. I have worked hard to demand that SB 5126 meet the environmental justice principles developed by the community, and that’s why I voted for 5126 today.
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“The climate crisis requires bold and decisive action for a livable future. Today, the House of Representatives delivered by passing the most comprehensive carbon pricing program in the nation. The Climate Commitment Act reflects historic leadership to address climate pollution and the harmful impacts to overburdened communities.”
“I’m a bit in disbelief, as this is years and years of work by many, many people to get here. Washington state has been working for a well over a decade for this day—a firm and declining cap on climate pollution, a generational investment in transit, Tribal nations, and overburdened communities, and a commitment to deal with a climate crisis that is engulfing us today. This is the product of thousands of advocates, activists and voters that have raised their voices. They demanded progress, and now we’re one step closer.””
“The Climate Commitment Act sets a new gold standard for other states across the nation to follow by tackling both carbon pollution and air pollution. This landmark bill would slash emissions at the pace and scale necessary to curb the worst impacts of climate change, while driving down damaging air pollution that disproportionately burdens many low-income communities and communities of color. The race to beat the climate crisis demands urgent action to cut emissions at every level. As the Biden administration reasserts climate leadership on the global stage, Washington state’s leaders are matching that ambition with bold policy that drives real, immediate progress.”
The Climate Commitment Act is a necessary component of Washington’s carbon reduction strategy, including funding investments in air quality improvements in overburdened communities, transit access and mobility equity, and electrification. A consistent majority of Washington voters support the Legislature cutting carbon pollution and to take strong climate action.
Banner photo: Cape Flattery, Makah Tribal Lands by Elise Eliot
Our Work on Climate Policy
