How to tell a good climate bill from a bad one?

Today’s unveiling of the Kerry-(Graham)-Lieberman climate bill will kick off what will likely be a rancorous debate on climate policy. It is essential that progressives come to the table armed with the information we need to not only pass a climate bill, but a good one as well. Policy jargon will get thrown around – “offsets,” “leakage,” “price collars,” “renewable portfolio standards” – and lines will be drawn. Amid the din, we could well lose sight of the ultimate objective: reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible at the lowest possible cost.

To help us sort through the talking points and policy minutiae, PPI has published a series of “cheat sheets” by Danny Morris and Nathan Richardson of Resources for the Future. Morris and Richardson have sifted through all the elements that comprise climate policy and split them into four categories: the essential, the merely important, the negotiable and the trivial. It’s essential reading for anyone who cares about climate policy.