[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 762 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 762

 Recognizing the 4th anniversary of the adoption of the international 
                   Paris Agreement on climate change.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 12, 2019

 Mr. Lowenthal (for himself, Mr. Beyer, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Blumenauer, 
 Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Brownley of California, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. 
  Case, Mr. Casten of Illinois, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Clay, Mr. 
Cleaver, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Correa, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Engel, Ms. Gabbard, 
   Ms. Haaland, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Heck, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. 
 Norton, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Khanna, Mr. Kildee, 
 Mr. Kilmer, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Mr. Foster, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Larsen of 
  Washington, Mr. Lipinski, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Meng, Mr. 
  Nadler, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Raskin, Mr. 
Rouda, Mr. Rush, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Scott of Virginia, 
 Ms. Shalala, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. 
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Welch, Mr. McEachin, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. 
 Neguse, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Keating, Mr. Soto, 
    Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. Dingell, and Mr. 
 Espaillat) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the 4th anniversary of the adoption of the international 
                   Paris Agreement on climate change.

Whereas the Paris Agreement, adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the 
        United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 4 years 
        ago on December 12, 2015, represents the first comprehensive agreement 
        among all nations to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius 
        compared with the preindustrial era;
Whereas the Paris Agreement urges efforts to limit global warming to one and a 
        half degrees Celsius;
Whereas 197 countries, including the United States, are parties to the UNFCCC, 
        the principal framework to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a 
        level that would prevent dangerous human-induced interference with the 
        climate system;
Whereas 197 parties have signed the Paris Agreement, and 187 parties have 
        ratified the Paris Agreement;
Whereas, on June 1, 2017, President Donald J. Trump announced his intention to 
        withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement;
Whereas, on November 4, 2019, the Trump administration gave the United Nations 
        formal notice of its intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris 
        Agreement, initiating the year-long withdrawal process;
Whereas the United States is set to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on 
        November 4, 2020, and would be the first and only signatory of the Paris 
        Agreement to withdraw;
Whereas the human influence on the climate system is unequivocal and evident 
        from the increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, 
        positive radiative forcing, observed warming, and understanding of the 
        climate system;
Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, without 
        additional mitigation efforts, there is a very high risk that global 
        warming by the end of the twenty-first century will lead to severe, 
        widespread, and irreversible impacts globally;
Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special 
        Report on Climate Change and Land, the land surface air temperature has 
        risen nearly twice as much as the global average temperature since the 
        preindustrial period and climate change has adversely impacted food 
        security, contributing to desertification and land degradation, creating 
        stresses on land that exacerbate existing risks to livelihoods, 
        biodiversity, human and ecosystem health, infrastructure, and food 
        systems;
Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special 
        Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, sea level 
        continues to rise at an increasing rate, with the ocean projected to 
        experience increased temperatures, further acidification, oxygen 
        decline, and more frequent extreme whether events, exacerbating risks 
        for human communities in low-lying coastal areas;
Whereas according to the National Climate Assessment, impacts of climate change 
        are already being felt in communities across the United States;
Whereas according to the National Climate Assessment, the global average 
        temperature is projected to increase from 3 to 12 degrees Fahrenheit by 
        2100, which will cause a reduction in crop yields, alteration of 
        hydrological cycles, shrinkage of glaciers and ice sheets, thawing of 
        permafrost at high altitude, increase of flooding, wildfires, droughts, 
        heat waves, cyclones, and other extreme weather events, greater risk of 
        species extinctions, and more;
Whereas according to the National Climate Assessment, the relative sea level is 
        projected to rise between about 2.5 and 11.5 feet by 2100 while ocean 
        warming and acidification increases, causing a proportional increase in 
        destructive coastal storms and surges, disruption of ecosystems 
        including spawning and migration patterns of key fisheries, displacement 
        of people on vulnerable coastlines and islands, and more;
Whereas a 2017 Government Accountability Office report found that climate-
        related impacts, such as coastal property damage, cost the Federal 
        Government $350 billion;
Whereas a November 2016 assessment by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
        and the Council of Economic Advisers found that recurring costs as a 
        result of climate change could increase the Federal Government's 
        expenses by $12 billion to $35 billion a year by midcentury, possibly 
        reaching more than $100 billion annually by the end of the century;
Whereas climate change not only threatens our world's weather, biodiversity, and 
        ecosystems, but also threatens human security, economic vitality, and 
        social stability around the globe;
Whereas the effects of climate change will only exacerbate issues of resource 
        scarcity, including lack of access to primary natural resources such as 
        fresh water and arable land for food production, thereby contributing to 
        increased conflict, poverty, food insecurity, and instability;
Whereas this increased conflict and instability, as well as limited capacity to 
        adapt to extreme weather, may force large-scale displacement and 
        internal and cross-border migration of people, thereby contributing to 
        increased risks to human security and economic systems;
Whereas the impacts of climate change will often be most severely felt by poor 
        and socially excluded groups, such as ethnic minorities, women, older 
        people, and children, whose capacity to adapt to both rapid- and slow-
        onset climate change is more limited;
Whereas the global community can limit the risks of climate change by reducing 
        emissions of greenhouse gases and strengthening the capacity of 
        communities to adapt to climate change;
Whereas to enable developing countries to combat climate change and adapt to its 
        impacts, developed countries will need to mobilize economic resources, 
        beginning with fulfilling their pledge of mobilizing $100 billion of 
        climate financing from both public and private sources annually 
        beginning in 2020, some of which will support the Green Climate Fund;
Whereas the United States pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26 to 28 
        percent below 2005 levels in the United States by 2025, and to 
        contribute $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund;
Whereas 29 States and the District of Columbia have adopted renewable portfolio 
        standard requirements, 23 States and the District of Columbia have 
        adopted greenhouse gas emissions targets, 26 States have adopted energy 
        efficiency resource standards, 13 States have adopted zero-emission or 
        low-emission vehicle targets, and 10 States have implemented the 
        Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative;
Whereas more than 145 cities in the United States have adopted 100 percent clean 
        and renewable energy goals and six cities have already achieved this 
        goal;
Whereas more than 400 city leaders across the United States have joined the 
        Climate Mayors association, a bipartisan network of mayors working 
        together to lead on climate change through meaningful actions in their 
        communities, and to build political will for effective Federal and 
        global policy action for climate progress;
Whereas 24 States and Puerto Rico have joined the United States Climate 
        Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of Governors committed to reducing 
        greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris 
        Agreement;
Whereas more than 3,000 businesses, cities and counties, colleges and 
        universities, cultural institutions, health care organizations, faith 
        groups, States, and Tribal nations have signed the We're Still In 
        declaration, a bipartisan group promising to world leaders that 
        Americans will not retreat from the global pact to reduce emissions and 
        stem the causes of climate change; and
Whereas the Paris Agreement secured commitments from other member countries, 
        including China and India, for a global agreement that could prevent 
        catastrophic changes to our climate system and thus to societies around 
        the world: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 4th anniversary of the adoption of the 
        Paris Agreement;
            (2) acknowledges it is the responsibility of humankind to 
        address the severe and global impacts of climate change;
            (3) supports global efforts that will keep global warming 
        below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), including 
        reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
            (4) supports global efforts to protect those most 
        vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including 
        increasing the ambition of current climate financing goals;
            (5) supports policies at the Federal, State, and local 
        levels that promote the reduction of greenhouse gas pollution 
        and aim to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement; and
            (6) recommends that the United States remain a signatory to 
        the Paris Agreement.
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