[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S1061]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Smith, Ms. 
        Warren, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 3774. A bill to address the disparate impact of climate change on 
women and support the efforts of women globally to address climate 
change, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Women and 
Climate Change Act of 2022. This bill affirms the U.S. commitment to 
supporting a group of people who are most often negatively impacted by 
climate change, yet too often left out of decisionmaking and policy 
development--women. The bill creates a Federal interagency working 
group, established by the Department of State, that will collect data 
and develop policies and strategies to address the effects of climate 
change on women both at home and abroad. Communities all across the 
United States and the world are currently feeling the impacts of 
climate change. The time to empower women to respond to this crisis is 
now. As we commemorate International Women's Day today, we are reminded 
of the important roles that women play in communities across the world 
and seize this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to working 
towards equity.
  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCC, 
highlights that the majority of the world's poor is made up of women 
who rely on natural resources in their daily lives and are least likely 
to be able to respond to extreme weather events. These women 
disproportionately face the brunt of climate change impacts, yet too 
often have little power or say over how they, their families, and their 
communities are able to combat climate change. UNFCC notes that when 
women are allowed a role in developing strategies that address climate 
change, it often results in great responsiveness to local needs, 
enabling resilience and capacity building, and delivering peace across 
communities.
  The rising costs of climate change to communities at home and abroad, 
both in terms of fatalities and expenses, are sobering. According to 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, last year 
the United States alone experienced 20 weather and climate disasters 
that cost at least $1 billion each, netting a $145 billion price tag 
and resulting in 688 deaths. Data from NOAA indicates a trend of 
increasing billion-dollar disasters each decade since the 1980s, with 
the expectation that the trend will continue.
  According to Christian Aid, a relief agency in the United Kingdom 
working to address poverty, the 10 worst global climate disasters in 
2021 cost $170 billion. These included Hurricane Ida, which impacted 
the east coast of the United States and resulted in at least 95 deaths, 
flooding in Europe that caused 240 fatalities, and July floods in China 
that killed over 300 individuals.
  The latest report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change, IPCC, last month highlights the consequences that the world 
will face if countries do not take immediate and significant action to 
address climate change. These consequences include extreme heat, 
floods, wildfire, drought, and famine that could result in malnutrition 
and displacement of people across the globe. The report also noted that 
between 2010 and 2020, extreme weather events fueled by climate change 
killed 15 times the number of people in poor countries as in wealthier 
nations. The report underscores how women will continue to face 
mounting challenges as the world experiences more severe and costly 
climate-fueled disasters. Women play a critical role in combating 
climate change--both within their communities and on a global scale. By 
including them at all levels, from planning to implementation, and 
providing them with the platform and support to carry out these 
strategies, we have the opportunity to create fair, effective, and 
sustainable solutions to respond to the climate crisis.
  This bill is a companion to H.R. 260, which was introduced by my 
colleague Representative Barbara Lee early last year. I thank her for 
her leadership on this bill and look forward to continuing our work to 
see that women all across the world are empowered to help confront this 
global crisis.
  Groups in support of this bill include Sierra Club, Planned 
Parenthood, the Women's Environment and Development Organization, 
Madre, Outdoor Afro, California Environmental Voters, Oxfam America, 
League of Conservation Voters, and Schools for Climate Action.
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