Proposed Senate climate bill stricter than House version

The climate bill that is expected to be introduced in the Senate's Environmental and Public Works Committee today is more strict in regards to emissions targets than the one narrowly passed by the House earlier this year.

The bill would require a 20-percent emission reduction by 2020 from 2005 levels of CO2 emissions. The House bill requires a 17-percent reduction. Both bills target an 83-percent reduction by 2050.

The bill sets up a cap-and-trade system, which would allow industry members to buy and sell emissions within a total emissions cap. The House bill has a similar cap-and-trade system included.

The introduction of the bill is expected to ignite a climate change debate in the Senate within several committees before a debate on the Senate floor later this year. For more info on the bill, check out this story from The Boston Globe.