[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 20236-20237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PARIS CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT

  Mr. FRANKEN. Madam President, I rise today to celebrate the 
successful climate negotiations that were just wrapped up in Paris.
  This past Saturday, 196 countries came together to reduce harmful 
greenhouse gas emissions, taking a very important step in the fight 
against climate change. This historic agreement is a recognition that 
we cannot afford to ignore the negative impacts of climate change and 
that we must work together globally to put the planet on a safer path 
forward.
  The agreement does not simply take countries at their word, but it 
requires transparent measurement and verification to ensure that they 
live up to their promises. Crucially, the deal requires countries to 
revisit their emission reduction targets every 5 years. That way 
countries can factor in new technologies and new policies in order to 
keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius.
  This truly historic deal has been nearly 25 years in the making. 
International climate efforts date back to 1992, when governments 
around the world met in Rio de Janeiro with the objective of 
stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. Nations have met every year 
since to further the goal. While some meetings have been more 
successful than others, most have been met with disappointment and lack 
of action. After all, climate change is a complex issue, and bringing 
about a consensus action for any international issue is no small feat. 
That is why this agreement is truly, truly impressive.
  Two weeks ago I traveled to Paris with nine of my colleagues. We met 
with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, with U.S. Energy Secretary 
Ernest Moniz, and with our top U.S. climate change negotiator, Todd 
Stern. I congratulate all of them for their fine work.
  Part of the purpose of our trip was to demonstrate to the world that 
there is a strong coalition in the U.S. Congress that supports the 
President's efforts on climate change, a message we conveyed to other 
nations, including Bangladesh. It is a country that has contributed 
little to industrial air pollution, but it is one of the most 
vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. It is estimated 
that unless we act, rising sea level will inundate some 17 percent of 
Bangladesh, displacing about 18 million people in this low-lying 
nation. They will be uprooted and turned into climate refugees without 
a home.

[[Page 20237]]

  But, of course, climate change isn't something that will just impact 
Bangladesh and other low-lying nations. It is already impacting us 
right here at home.
  While we cannot attribute any single extreme weather event to climate 
change, we do know that climate change impacts the frequency, duration, 
and severity of extreme weather events. Just look at the damage caused 
by Superstorm Sandy. The storm surges caused by Sandy along the eastern 
seaboard were far more damaging because of climate-induced sea level 
rise. May I remind you that the damage caused by Sandy cost taxpayers 
$60 billion.
  We are also seeing climate impacts to our forests. When Forest 
Service Chief Tom Tidwell testified before the Senate energy committee 
a few years ago, he told us that throughout the country we are seeing 
far longer fire seasons and that wildfires are also larger and more 
intense. I asked Chief Tidwell whether scientists at the Forest Service 
have concluded that climate change has been exacerbating the intensity, 
the size, and duration of wildfires in the wildfire season. Without 
hesitation, he said yes. As a result, the Forest Service is spending 
more and more of their budget fighting fires--now more than half of 
their entire budget.
  We are seeing more intense droughts. Unless we act, these droughts 
will have a major impact on food security around the world. That is why 
I recently penned an op-ed in the Minneapolis StarTribune with Dave 
MacLennan, the CEO of Cargill, the Nation's largest privately held 
corporation.
  As the CEO of a company focused on agriculture, Dave is concerned 
about what climate change is going to do to our food supply in a world 
that is expected to go from 7 billion to 9.5 billion inhabitants by 
midcentury. That is why Cargill called for a strong outcome at the 
global climate negotiations.
  So you can see that Cargill has a strong business case to make on why 
we have to deal with climate change. But, of course, that business case 
isn't just confined to the agriculture sector. Addressing climate 
change presents a tremendous opportunity to transform the energy 
sector.
  For the very first time just this last week, Beijing issued its most 
severe warning to alert citizens of intense smog and local air 
pollution levels. Officials ordered half of the city's private vehicles 
to stay off the road, halted all operation at outdoor construction 
sites, and advised schools to temporarily close their doors. Citizens 
were encouraged to limit outdoor activities and recommended to wear a 
mask when outside.
  China is choking on its own fumes from fossil fuels. As China and 
others recognize that they have to race toward clean energy, I want to 
make sure that our nation leads that race. I want to make sure that our 
startups are innovating tomorrow's solutions, that our companies are 
the ones that are developing and deploying clean energy technologies 
here and around the world. Again, I want to reiterate that. Addressing 
climate change head on would not only mitigate unprecedented damage to 
our economy but spur growth and innovation in a world that is hungry 
for advancements in clean energy.
  My State of Minnesota recognized this opportunity in 2007 when it 
established a renewable energy standard and an energy efficiency 
standard. These kinds of policies send a strong signal to the private 
sector to develop and deploy clean energy solutions, and major 
investors are catching on to the opportunities. Just this month, Bill 
Gates launched the Breakthrough Energy Coalition to develop 
transformative energy solutions. The Coalition of nearly 30 
billionaires from 10 different countries will invest in early stage 
energy companies to help them bridge the gap between government-funded 
lab research and the marketplace. According to Gates, the ``primary 
goal with the Coalition is as much to accelerate progress on clean 
energy as it is to make a profit.'' To back up this statement, Gates 
alone plans to invest $1 billion in clean energy in the next 5 years.
  So you can see that the very serious threat of climate change 
presents a ``Sputnik moment'' for our Nation, an opportunity to rise to 
the challenge and defeat that threat. In response to Sputnik, we ended 
up not just winning the space race and sending a man to the Moon, but 
we did all sorts of great things for the American economy and for our 
society. We did it once, and we can do it again. By rising to the 
challenge of climate change, we will not just clean up our air but also 
drive innovation and create jobs--and not only in the clean energy 
sector--just as the space program created economic growth in so many 
economic sectors.
  The Obama administration deserves a lot of credit for its leadership 
on climate change. Our domestic commitment through the Clean Power 
Plan, which builds on the work of my State and others, has established 
a Federal plan for reducing emissions. This important policy has 
provided American innovators and businesses the confidence to take on 
new risks and to drive new technologies forward.
  After dragging our feet for so many years, I am proud that the United 
States is acting domestically and leading internationally.
  But our job is not done. The agreement in Paris puts the planet on a 
safer trajectory than the one we have been on, but we have to remain 
vigilant and build upon that success. Internationally, we have to hold 
other nations accountable, ensure that they commit to stronger emission 
reduction targets over time, and make sure that those reductions are 
transparent and verifiable. Domestically, we have to build on the 
success of our cities and our States, and we have to work to make sure 
that the Clean Power Plan and other emissions reduction policies are 
effective. As a member of the Senate energy committee, I intend to do 
just that.
  Two years ago, my first grandchild was born, and I am expecting my 
second grandchild in January. God willing, they will live through this 
century and into the next. I want them to know that when we had the 
opportunity to put Earth on a safer path, we seized the moment.
  So let's celebrate this agreement because it is an important 
milestone, and then let's build on it to make the planet a safer and 
more habitable place for our grandchildren and their children.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BLUNT. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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