UJAE Position on State Cap-and-Trade Programs

While UJAE is supportive of state level programs such as conservation and renewables, UJAE has opposed state level cap-and-trade programs because of the cost, inefficiency, and ineffectiveness of such programs compared to action at the federal level. State level cap-and-trade also may undermine the competitiveness of industry in that state. For example, while UJAE opposed the Maryland Global Warming Solutions Act, and helped to defeat it when it came up earlier this year (2008).

The AFL-CIO and several UJAE unions have endorsed the cap-and-trade bill put forth by Senators Bingaman and Specter which would set an economy wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions. To see the UJAE fact sheet on the Maryland bill, <click here>