Senators Tell Biden to Use Russia Sanctions as Opportunity to Reduce Climate Change

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. senators urged President Biden on Friday to use sanctions against Russian gas shipments as an opportunity to develop a joint strategy with European nations to reduce global warming.

President Biden announced last week a plan to send more liquefied natural gas to Europe to make up for curtailed Russian shipments.

A letter from Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., to Biden says the gas shipments create an opportunity for trade agreements with European nations to coordinate a switch to cleaner fuels.

“Increasing our exports of cleaner energy will have the dual benefit of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions while diminishing the leverage of bad actors,” the letter said in a reference to Russia’s president.

“To be successful, we must focus on the long-term opportunity to bolster our trade relationships with nations who prioritize clean, innovative energy sources,” the letter said.

One part of their plan calls for a trade agreement to impose a common carbon fee on imported goods. They say it would encourage domestic production of goods and energy, rather than relying on imports.

They don’t dispute the need for some gas and oil. They say only that it should be produced and exported using the most environmentally friendly processes.

Environmental policies of the United States acting alone are not enough to manage climate change challenges, the senators said.

“[W]e are concerned that unilateral action could lead to discrimination against U.S. businesses, driving a wedge where there should be a bond,” their letter said.

Cramer is a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and Coons is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Many European nations and the United States are sanctioning Russia by refusing to accept its fuel shipments and other exports.

Russia’s European customers are assuming potentially drastic consequences for their economies unless the shipments are replaced. About 40% of their liquefied natural gas came from Russia last year.

The Biden administration announced last week the United States would supply at least 15 billion cubic meters of extra LNG supplies to Europe this year. The shipments would increase to 50 billion cubic meters of American fuel by 2030.

“We’re coming together to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian energy,” Biden said during a press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Biden’s plan to send more LNG to Europe is creating a policy dilemma that was obvious Friday during a congressional hearing on climate change.

On one hand, Biden wants to wean the United States off the need to extract or use fossil fuels. On the other hand, European nations participating in sanctions against Russia for its war on Ukraine must have the gas for homes and industries.

Environmentalists at a House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis hearing re-emphasized that global warming is reaching a crisis stage that cannot wait much longer for more environmentally friendly choices.

“For every $1 that we spend on pre-disaster mitigation, we will save $6 to $8 in avoided damages and taxpayer costs,” said Collin O’Mara, president of the National Wildlife Federation.

“Because of our archaic budget rules, it’s easier to spend hundreds of billions of dollars after a disaster through a supplemental appropriation than it is to invest in the ounce of prevention that could have mitigated the damage in the first place,” O’Mara said.

So far this year, the number of fires is nearly double the national average, while close to 60% of the United States is living under drought conditions, said Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., chairwoman of the Committee on the Climate Crisis.

“These climate impacts will increasingly harm important sectors of our economy,” Castor said.

Tom can be reached at [email protected]