Do they really mean it? What the conservative climate caucus is for and against

Abstract

I investigate the ideas and favored policies of the Conservative Climate Caucus, founded by Representative John Curtis in June 2021, with a view to raising awareness of climate change among Congressional Republicans and cobbling together climate policies that Republicans could be willing to approve. Uncovering the substance of their propositions can help one assess the actual potential for a departure from a Republican approach to energy policy that does not take heed of climate change. The statements and policy proposals of Conservative Climate Caucus members are analyzed along five distinct dimensions: (1) the proper role of the government in the energy sector, (2) the role of fossil fuels in the future energy mix of the United States, (3) the geopolitical dimension of US energy production, (4) the prospects of bipartisanship in energy policy, and (5) the link between economic growth and decarbonization. This qualitative analysis suggests that the members of the caucus tend to remain largely aligned with mainstream Republican hostility toward new regulations and taxes, climate multilateralism, and the phasing out of fossil fuels, but are much more open to federal support for green technologies than Republicans aligned with Donald Trump. Further, their persistent adherence to negative partisanship makes future cooperation with Democrats on policies they may agree on unlikely.