USDA Official Promotes Federal Purchases of Carbon Credits
- Says carbon markets should remain private, not government-run
- Climate adviser Bonnie discusses options as USDA prepares plan
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The U.S. government should be prepared to support prices farmers receive for carbon credits but avoid setting up a federally run carbon market that would compete with nascent private markets, a senior Agriculture Department official said Tuesday.
Robert Bonnie, the department’s main climate adviser, said a key way the agency can work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would be making purchases to bolster prices of the credits, which farmers can sell for switching to practices that reduce emissions or sequester carbon.