WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) celebrated the markup and passage of the bipartisan Providing Reliable, Objective, Verifiable Emissions Intensity and Transparency (PROVE IT) Act today out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works by a bipartisan vote of 14-5. The PROVE IT Act would direct the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study comparing the emissions intensity of certain goods produced in the United States to the emissions of those same goods produced in the other countries. U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) are also co-sponsors.

“I’m delighted to see the Environment and Public Works committee embrace the PROVE IT Act and the reliable data it will provide that’s needed to quantify the climate benefits of the United States’ investments in cleaner, more efficient manufacturing practices and hold nations like China accountable for their emissions-heavy production,” said Senator Coons. “Demonstrating our comparative advantage in emissions intensity andworking with our allies and partners on data sharing is a win for the climate, a win for American workers and manufacturers, and a win for global cooperation.”

“Today’s markup is a productive step toward gathering the data we need to prove what we already know: We produce energy and manufacture goods cleaner than anyone else in the world,” said Senator Cramer. “If the goal is to reduce global emissions, the answer is to produce more in America. Our bipartisan PROVE IT Act acknowledges American excellence while protecting workers and businesses from unfair tariffs and foreign competitors seeking to undercut them.”

American manufacturers abide by some of the cleanest production standards in the world, and U.S. production is widely regarded as cleaner and more responsible than our competitors. The PROVE IT Act would obtain high-quality data to back this claim up by determining the emissions intensity of domestically produced goods like steel, cement, glass, and aluminum compared to those around the globe.

Specifically, the PROVE IT Act would direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study, alongside the Department of Commerce, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State, to:

  • Determine the average emissions intensity of covered products produced in the United States and identify any gaps in that data;
  • Determine the average emissions intensity of covered products produced by G-7 countries, free trade agreement partners, foreign countries of concern, and countries that hold a substantial global market share for a covered product;
  • Identify any issues with verifying the average product emissions intensity data from other countries;
  • Determine the emissions intensity of products produced in the United States compared to products produced in covered countries; and
  • Facilitate collaboration among entities with expertise in data collection and analysis, support international coordination on emissions intensity data, and establish a process for receiving data from private industry on a voluntary basis.

Comprehensive data on product emissions intensity is an important step in addressing climate through trade policy and leveling the playing field for domestic producers and manufacturers who are forced to compete against rivals with little to no standards. Senator Coons introduced the FAIR Transition and Competition Act, Congress’ first comprehensive border carbon adjustment bill, in 2021, and prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Senator Cramer penned an op-ed with former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster advocating for a “climate and trade initiative that would cut global greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy security, and reduce Russia’s power to coerce Europe.” Merging climate and trade policy would reduce global emissions and support American workers by leveling the playing field for domestic manufacturers who have already made expensive investments to reduce emissions in their manufacturing processes.

The PROVE IT Act is endorsed by the Bipartisan Policy Center Action, American Iron and Steel Institute, Climate Leadership Council, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Third Way, Progressive Policy Institute, Independent Petroleum Association of America, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, American Petroleum Institute, and the Steel Manufacturers Association.

The one-page summary of the bill is available here. The text of the bill is available here. A full list of endorsement quotes is available here.