Boise Cascade Chairman Tom Stephens called on Congress on Tuesday to cap U.S. greenhouse emissions that contribute to global warming, while encouraging other nations to develop their own programs.
In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, Stephens said the cap should be reduced over time to move the U.S. economy to "a more neutral greenhouse gas position."
"Today, the U.S. is debating how to take a giant step in the right direction," he said. "And, as the world leader, I believe it is the U.S.' responsibility to take this step."
One Idaho environmentalist said that with the House considering several environmental bills dealing with greenhouse gases, Stephens' testimony made "good business sense."
"He's getting ahead of the curve on any future regulations," said John Robison, public lands director for the Idaho Conservation League. "Plus, consumers are increasingly interested in buying products from environmentally responsible businesses."
Stephens said any U.S. legislation should contain "incentives" for trading partners, including developing countries, to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
"These incentives should include access to U.S. markets, not in the form of duties, but fundamental access," he said. "Unlike many environmental impacts, CO2 emissions do not have a zip code. If all we do with legislation is export the CO2 production, we will have failed to mitigate climate change and we will have lost jobs in the process."
He said legislation could be written to put the U.S. forest products industry at a disadvantage against nations that do not have to adhere to the same regulations.
"Our competition is no longer just the paper mill in the next town, but the new ones being built in China and Indonesia," Stephens said.
He said China, with few forest resources and little clean energy, has "the fastest-growing paper industry in the world."
"Today, China imports logs from Russia and exports paper to the U.S.," Stephens said. "At the same time, the U.S. has elected to significantly reduce the management of its federal forests for sustainable wood production and lost tens of thousands of jobs in our forest products sector."
Stephens said that if the government raises the cost for U.S. producers, "while overseas producers get a pass, we will have made the U.S. producers less competitive."
Boise Cascade announced this week that it will cut its greenhouse gas emission by 10 percent by 2014.Idaho Statesman
