U.S. EPA offers first carbon reporting plan

By Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed a comprehensive U.S. system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, a step toward regulating pollutants that spur climate change.

The new plan for a carbon registry would affect fossil fuel suppliers, automakers and companies that emit at least 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases a year, the EPA said in a statement.

The U.S. government already has statistics on emissions from coal-fired power plants, which also emit carbon dioxide.

Some 13,000 facilities, accounting for about 85 percent to 90 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, would be covered under the proposal.

"Our efforts to confront climate change must be guided by the best possible information," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said. "...This is a critical step toward helping us better protect our health and environment -- all without placing an onerous burden on our nation's small businesses."

Forty-one states already participate in a voluntary plan, called The Climate Registry, which measures and reports greenhouse emissions, and the EPA acknowledged this work.

President Barack Obama has been vocal in his support for a market-based cap-and-trade plan to limit carbon emissions to try to stem global warming. Members of Congress have already begun working on legislation that would make this happen.

"This is an important foundation step toward regulating greenhouse gases and reducing them," David Doniger of the Natural Resources Defense Council said by telephone after meeting with EPA officials.