[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 16, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6195-S6196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself and Ms. Snowe):
  S. 1411. A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to establish within the 
Environmental Protection Agency an office to measure and report on 
greenhouse gas emissions of Federal agencies; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Federal 
Government Greenhouse Gas Registry Act. This bill will create an 
inventory of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the Federal 
Government. This includes the Government's buildings, automotive fleets 
and other sources of emissions. Understanding the ``footprint'' of the 
Federal Government's emission is essential to reducing those emissions.
  The Federal Government is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse 
gases in the world. In particular, the largest owner or renter of 
buildings and owns the single largest fleet of cars in the United 
States. The buildings and the transportation sectors account for nearly 
two-thirds of all of the greenhouse gases in the country. The Federal 
Government must lead by example by reducing its own emissions.
  Understanding the extent of an entity's emissions, through the 
development of a registry, is important to ultimately reducing 
emissions. The private sector already understands this. It has found 
that tracking and monitoring corporate emissions creates an

[[Page S6196]]

opportunity to easily reduce emissions by seeing where energy is 
inefficiently used. According to a recent report by the Pew Center on 
Global Climate Change, ``the first step in developing a climate 
strategy is to analyze a company's GHG emissions profile . . .''
  My bill uses the GHG protocol, a rigorous standard developed by 
experts and used by companies, States and trading regimes around the 
world, including Johnson & Johnson, the California Climate Action 
Registry and the EU's emission trading schemes. Utilizing such a well 
known and frequently used standard is important because it allows for 
comparison and benchmarking with other large emitters.
  The Government Accountability Office, GAO, has also recognized the 
importance of measuring greenhouse gas emissions. According to a GAO 
report from April 2007--``Energy Audits Are Key to Strategy for 
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions''--conducting emissions assessments 
would ``. . . include information on cost-effectiveness and potential 
for reducing emissions.''
  In closing, the Federal Government has an obligation to lead by 
example and this bill is a critical first step in reducing its 
emissions.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1411

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Government 
     Greenhouse Gas Registry Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FEDERAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

       The Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following:

             ``TITLE VII--FEDERAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

     ``SEC. 701. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this title:
       ``(1) Agency emission baseline.--The term `agency emission 
     baseline', with respect to a Federal agency, means such 
     quantity of the aggregate quantity of direct emissions, 
     energy indirect emissions, and indirect emissions used to 
     calculate the emission baseline as is attributable to the 
     Federal agency.
       ``(2) Direct emission.--The term `direct emission' means an 
     emission of a greenhouse gas directly from a source owned or 
     controlled by the Federal Government, such as from a fleet of 
     motor vehicles.
       ``(3) Emission allowance.--The term `emission allowance' 
     means an authorization to emit, for any fiscal year, 1 ton of 
     carbon dioxide (or the equivalent quantity of any other 
     greenhouse gas, as determined by the Administrator).
       ``(4) Emission baseline.--The term `emission baseline' 
     means a quantity of greenhouse gas emissions equal to the 
     aggregate quantity of direct emissions, energy indirect 
     emissions, and indirect emissions for fiscal year 2005, as 
     determined by the Office in accordance with section 
     702(b)(3).
       ``(5) Energy indirect emission.--The term `energy indirect 
     emission' means an emission of a greenhouse gas resulting 
     from the production of electricity purchased and used by the 
     Federal Government.
       ``(6) Greenhouse gas.--The term `greenhouse gas' means any 
     of--
       ``(A) carbon dioxide;
       ``(B) methane;
       ``(C) nitrous oxide;
       ``(D) hydrofluorocarbons;
       ``(E) perfluorocarbons; and
       ``(F) sulfur hexafluoride.
       ``(7) Indirect emission.--
       ``(A) In general.--The term `indirect emission' means an 
     emission of greenhouse gases resulting from the conduct of a 
     project or activity (including outsourcing of a project or 
     activity) by the Federal Government (or any Federal officer 
     or employee acting in an official capacity).
       ``(B) Inclusions.--The term `indirect emission' includes an 
     emission of a greenhouse gas resulting from--
       ``(i) employee travel; or
       ``(ii) the use of an energy-intensive material, such as 
     paper.
       ``(C) Exclusion.--The term `indirect emission' does not 
     include an energy indirect emission.
       ``(8) Office.--The term `Office' means the Federal 
     Emissions Inventory Office established by section 702(a).
       ``(9) Protocol.--The term `protocol' means the Greenhouse 
     Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard 
     developed by the World Resources Institute and World Business 
     Council on Sustainable Development.

     ``SEC. 702. FEDERAL EMISSIONS INVENTORY OFFICE.

       ``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the 
     Environmental Protection Agency an office to be known as the 
     `Federal Emissions Inventory Office'.
       ``(b) Duties.--The Office shall--
       ``(1) as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of 
     this title, develop an emission inventory or other 
     appropriate system to measure and verify direct emissions, 
     energy indirect emissions, indirect emissions, and offsets of 
     those emissions;
       ``(2) ensure that the process of data collection for the 
     inventory or system is reliable, transparent, and accessible;
       ``(3)(A)(i) not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this title, establish an emission baseline for 
     the Federal Government; or
       ``(ii) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
     of this title, if the Office determines that Federal agencies 
     have not collected enough information, or sufficient data are 
     otherwise unavailable, to establish an emission baseline, 
     submit to Congress and the Administrator a report describing 
     the type and quantity of data that are unavailable; and
       ``(B) after establishment of an emission baseline under 
     subparagraph (A), periodically review and, if new information 
     relating to the base year becomes available, revise the 
     emission baseline, as appropriate;
       ``(4) upon development of the inventory or system under 
     paragraph (1), use the inventory or system to begin 
     accounting for direct emissions, energy indirect emissions, 
     and indirect emissions in accordance with the protocol;
       ``(5) ensure that the inventory or other appropriate system 
     developed under paragraph (1) is periodically audited to 
     ensure that data reported in accordance with the inventory or 
     system are relevant, complete, and transparent;
       ``(6) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
     this title--
       ``(A) develop such additional procedures as are necessary 
     to account for emissions described in paragraph (3), 
     particularly indirect emissions; and
       ``(B) submit to Congress and the Administrator a report 
     that describes any additional data necessary to calculate 
     indirect emissions;
       ``(7) coordinate with climate change and greenhouse gas 
     registries being developed by States and Indian tribes; and
       ``(8) not later than October 1 of the year after the date 
     of enactment of this title, and annually thereafter, submit 
     to Congress and the Administrator a report that, for the 
     preceding fiscal year, for the Federal Government and each 
     Federal agency--
       ``(A) describes the aggregate quantity of emissions 
     (including direct emissions, energy indirect emissions, and 
     indirect emissions); and
       ``(B) specifies separately the quantities of direct 
     emissions, energy indirect emissions, and indirect emissions 
     comprising that aggregate quantity.

     ``SEC. 703. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this title.''.
                                 ______