As OMB Eyes Carbon ‘Cost’ Updates, Groups Clash Over Metric’s Role

Democratic-led states, environmentalists and many experts are urging the White House to update its social cost of carbon (SCC) metric to significantly boost the estimated benefits of GHG controls, while also arguing the tool should be broadly used in procurement, project reviews and other decisions in addition to crafting climate and other rules. However, some industry and conservative groups say the Biden administration’s “interim” SCC estimates exceed executive branch authority, that any changes must follow extensive public comment, and use...