The Senate has passed the bipartisan Growing Climate Solutions Act on Thursday.
The act is the first legislation to ensure farmers, ranchers and foresters benefit from reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and getting paid for sequestering carbon.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Ag Committee, and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) introduced the bill. According to Stabenow, it had support of 175 agriculture, forestry, environmental, and food business groups, and was backed by more than 90 senators.
“What we are doing is voluntary, producer-led, and bipartisan,” said Stabenow. “We are providing the tools to farmers and foresters to be able to measure and verify what they’re doing—working with the USDA so they can go into the private markets. We’re making sure we’re setting it up for them. This is not about Wall Street. This is about farmers and foresters. We are putting them first in this process.”
There will be an advisory committee, and the majority will be ag producers. Braun said this voluntary legislation is further proof that farmers will continue to care for their environment.
“Farmers, they’re natural stewards, and they’ve done a great job—that’s shown by the fact that their CO2 emissions in this country are way under in agriculture across the world,” he said. “It’s going to be able to showcase their good stewardship, and it’s going to be able to reward them by something very simple. These are voluntary markets which tells you that people are ready.”
Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, says it’s a positive step for the country and Michigan.
“We’re the second most diverse agricultural state in America,” he said. “That makes our ag sector vulnerable to a wide array of risks posed by climate change. But at the same time, we know farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities are at the table with solutions. Delivering climate solutions is part of what they do everyday.”
The bill’s next step is to go to the House. If it passes there, it will head to President Biden’s desk for his signature.
