[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 44 (Tuesday, April 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3370-S3371]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MORE QUESTIONS ON GLOBAL WARMING

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, last year the Senate passed a 
bipartisan resolution, S. Res. 98, which expressed the Sense of the 
Senate that the United States should not enter into any global warming 
treaty unless developing nations joined in the effort by agreeing to 
emission limits. This resolution passed by a vote of 95-0.
  Despite this clear and specific resolution, the Administration 
negotiated and agreed to a treaty in Kyoto which sets binding limits on 
carbon emissions by developed nations, but which compels no similar 
participation from the developing world. Clearly, the Kyoto treaty 
fails to meet the criteria established by S. Res. 98.
  To date, China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea and other emerging 
trading partners have no obligations under the Kyoto Treaty. Since 
signing the agreement, the Administration has worked to secure some 
level of participation by these nations with the intention of amending 
the Treaty. Of course, these countries understand the economic impact 
of emissions limits, so it is not surprising that the United States is 
having a difficult time convincing these governments that their 
participation is necessary.
  Recently, however, the State Department reports that it has reached 
``a conceptual agreement'' with some countries to ``pursue an umbrella 
group to trade emissions permits.'' No details about the nature or 
design of the agreement have been released, so it is difficult to judge 
the success of the recent efforts. A few questions come to mind 
however. What limits would these nations agree to? Would this be a part 
of the Protocol or a separate agreement outside the Protocol? How would 
this ``umbrella group'' even be recognized by the Protocol Parties? 
Finally, what is the U.S. offering to entice this group?
  Mr. President, the Administration's actions and comments since Kyoto

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raise many questions but provide few answers. I hope the delegation 
will be more forthcoming in the next few months and allow Congress and 
the public an opportunity to comment on the U.S. proposals prior to the 
June and November sessions.

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