Nick Sobczyk reported in early 2020 that C3 Solutions, a new advocacy group aimed at promoting clean energy and addressing climate change, became the latest organization to wade into an emerging ecosystem of right-leaning environmental groups with its launch today. Drew Bond, a former adviser for President George W. Bush at the Department of Energy, and John Hart, the former communications director for the late Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), said they founded the group to offer alternatives to progressive solutions including the Green New Deal.
"Our focus is helping conservatives be on offense and not defense on climate," Bond said in an interview. "We think that when you talk to conservatives without the traditional politics that have pushed people to one side or the other, conservatives by and large are actually pretty mainstream when it comes to energy and the environment."
C3, short for Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions, mirrors many of the other "eco-right" groups that have cropped up in recent years, with a crisp website, professional media work and high hopes of engaging conservatives in a debate long dominated by the left. And like other similar groups, C3's platform is built largely around innovation and economic prosperity with little emphasis on greenhouse gas emissions targets or specific effects of climate change. It reflects much of the rhetoric on climate coming from congressional Republicans, who have in recent months embraced innovation while continuing to oppose regulation or pricing of the emissions that drive climate change.
While the announcement did not offer support for specific policy solutions, the group pointed to polling that increasingly shows young Republicans want the government to act on climate change (E&E Daily, July 26, 2019). "Media discussions are all about the arguments about the science and denial versus alarmism," Bond said. "And actually I think when you peel that back, the reality is most of the skepticism on the right is more about the politics as opposed to the science."
Bond and Hart said they do not plan to do any direct lobbying or electioneering. Instead, they want to be a think tank-style resource akin to the far-right wing Heritage Foundation. They plan to promote various innovation ideas and climate mitigation strategies, including reform of the National Flood Insurance Program, but that won't include carbon pricing, a policy some conservative groups have promoted aggressively in recent years. "We don’t believe a carbon tax is the way to do that, but frankly we're not going to spend our time trying to convince everybody why it's bad," Bond said.
Bond and Hart also bring a background in energy and environmental issues. Bond did a stint as chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation and co-founded Powerfield Energy Inc., a modular solar company. Hart owns a sustainable farm in Maryland after years working for an oil state senator. The pair said they reconnected when Bond came in to talk over a solar project on the farm, which gave both a laugh, given that they had worked for oil-loving conservative members of Congress. C3's advisory board includes Rick Santorum, the former presidential candidate and Republican senator from Pennsylvania.
"Regardless of how you assess the risk of climate change and measure human impact, conservatives need to lead with real solutions," Santorum said in a statement. "C3 Solutions is wisely giving conservatives policies to be for."
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
