What started as a group of passionate volunteers with a big idea has grown into a powerful organization of economists, scientists, policy experts, and advocates.
A big idea.
In 2016, a group of volunteers that would later come to be known as Carbon Washington put the first-ever statewide carbon-pricing measure on the ballot with an aim to simultaneously reduce carbon emissions and reform WA’s regressive tax code. Though it didn’t pass, it changed the conversation about moving our state toward net-zero emissions and working with diverse stakeholders toward shared goals.
Redefining success.
In 2017, with some new faces and a new direction, Carbon Washington shifted its emphasis to serve as a thought leader for smart climate action and advocate for effective climate policy. Our work expanded to include a broader set of approaches, from carbon sequestration to building codes to vehicle electrification, and our policy development and advocacy work were crucial to establishing WA’s Sustainable Farms & Fields Program.
Maximizing impact.
We are working with partners in the public, private, and non-profit sectors to unlock $30 billion for climate by 2030. WA is leading on climate policy - including an economy wide price on carbon pollution - but the transition to a low-carbon economy is still going to require billions of dollars of investment in infrastructure and economic transformation. We are focused on providing the financial solutions that translate targets into reality.
The Team
Carbon Washington is a unique and nimble start-up organization of volunteers, campaign staff, expert advisors, and a highly engaged Board of Directors.
Doug Ray, PhD | Chair
Douglas Ray is Senior Research Fellow Emeritus at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Executive-in-Residence with Washington State University Tri-Cities. He is a recognized authority on decarbonizing the global energy system and the environmental consequences of energy production and use. Dr. Ray received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a contributing member of a variety of national and international organizations.
Peter Kelly, PhD | Vice Chair
Peter Kelly earned a PhD in Agricultural and Resource Economics from UC Berkeley and was a full-time faculty member at Renmin University of China. He is an associate editor at the Journal of Forest Economics and author of publications on the economics of sustainable land use. He is also founder of Grow Further, a nonprofit organization supporting agricultural science in developing countries to benefit small-scale farmers and the environment.
Dan Shih | Secretary-Treasurer
Dan is an attorney at Susman Godfrey LLP, representing clients in courts across the country on complex litigation matters. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Princeton and a master’s degree in economics and J.D. from Stanford. Prior to law school, Dan worked as a management consultant and in private equity. Dan also serves as a board member for the Center for Children & Youth Justice, Seattle Moisture Festival, and PRX. Dan lives in Seattle with his husband and three daughters.
Kate Pflaumer | Governance
Kate Pflaumer was the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington during the Clinton Administration and since then has been a special master and tort claims reviewer appointed to assist courts in sensitive cases. She is former chair of the board of the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.