New Analysis from CRES Forum’s Dave Banks Highlights U.S. Plastics Industry as a Model for Global Emissions Reductions

Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum today released the fifth installment of CRES Forum’s white paper series: “U.S. Plastics Manufacturing Offers Opportunities for Global Emissions Reductionism,” authored by George David Banks, CRES Forum Policy Fellow. CRES Forum’s white paper series, “Understanding the Facts,” aims to lay out a foundation for conservative solutions to today’s most critical climate and clean energy challenges.

“Legislators and environmental activists should understand that U.S. plastics production is not the problem—it is actually the answer to addressing global GHG emissions, particularly if it displaces dirtier overseas production,” George David Banks writes CRES Forum’s latest white paper.

The U.S. plastics industry is a major contributor to the economy and environment, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, reducing food waste, and improving energy efficiency in transport. Worldwide, demand for plastics manufacturing is growing exponentially because of these economic and environmental benefits. While the environmental cost of plastics mismanagement after use is substantial (e.g., ocean plastics, litter), those costs flow largely from the inability or unwillingness of countries to manage it. That is where the United States can play an indispensable role, by helping other economies develop effective waste management policies and advance innovation that can create markets that improve the economics of recycling.

On Thursday, May 19, CRES Forum will host two expert panel discussions exploring key topics: the role of U.S. plastics in global climate mitigation and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s climate disclosure rule. Click here to see the agenda and RSVP online.

Click HERE to read the white paper. Click HERE to read the ongoing CRES Forum White Paper series, which includes papers that address global emissions, intra-fuel switching, and critical minerals dependency.

 

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Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that educates the public and influences the national conversation around responsible clean energy solutions that are actionable, market-friendly, and responsible.

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