News

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Braun (R-IN), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and colleagues introduced the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which would assist farmers, ranchers, and foresters in accessing voluntary environmental mitigation credit markets. The bill has broad support from over 60 leading agricultural and environmental organizations.
 
For a full list of cosponsors, click here. 
 
“I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this common-sense bipartisan proposal, which will inform farmers, ranchers, and foresters how to navigate around the barriers-to-entry that have historically prevented them from accessing voluntary environmental mitigation credit markets,” Rubio said. “This common-sense proposal will assist agriculture stakeholders in identifying alternative sources of income, while at the same time empowering them to pursue efforts to restore ecosystems including wetlands and forests, mitigate environmental impacts, and improve water quality. As a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus, I look forward to working with caucus co-chair, Senator Braun, to advance this legislation.”
 
“As a Main Street entrepreneur and conservationist, I know firsthand that if we want to address our changing climate then we need to facilitate real solutions that our farmers, environmentalists, and industry can all support, which this bill accomplishes by breaking down barriers for farmers and foresters interested in participating in carbon markets so they can be rewarded for climate-smart practices,” Braun said..
 
“Addressing the climate crisis is one of the most urgent challenges we face and our farmers and foresters are an important part of the solution,” Stabenow said. “The bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act is a win-win for farmers, our economy and for our environment. Our bill is a perfect example of how we can work across the aisle and find common ground to address a critical issue affecting all of us and our future.”
 
“As Americans, we have the ability to come up with climate solutions that can benefit our economy and our way of life,” Graham said. “The United States has long been a leader in innovation. This legislation is an opportunity to put our knowledge and can-do spirit to work to promote business opportunities for the agriculture industry while promoting the protection of our environment.”
 
“Farmers and foresters are seeing firsthand the effects of climate change on their livelihoods, and I’m glad to have them at the table working on solutions,” Whitehouse said. “We will need nature-based solutions like the ones this bill seeks to incentivize in order to rapidly get to net zero emissions, as science tells us we must.”