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

IV 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. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BLU- MENAUER, 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. VELA´ZQUEZ, 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 de- termined 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HRES 762 IH 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 de- grees 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 par- ties to the UNFCCC, the principal framework to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would pre- vent dangerous human-induced interference with the cli- mate 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 an- nounced 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 un- equivocal and evident from the increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, positive radiative forc- ing, observed warming, and understanding of the climate system; Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- mate Change, without additional mitigation efforts, there is a very high risk that global warming by the end of the VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HRES 762 IH twenty-first century will lead to severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts globally; Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- mate 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 ex- acerbate existing risks to livelihoods, biodiversity, human and ecosystem health, infrastructure, and food systems; Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- mate 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 ex- perience increased temperatures, further acidification, ox- ygen decline, and more frequent extreme whether events, exacerbating risks for human communities in low-lying coastal areas; Whereas according to the National Climate Assessment, im- pacts of climate change are already being felt in commu- nities 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 perma- frost at high altitude, increase of flooding, wildfires, droughts, heat waves, cyclones, and other extreme weath- er events, greater risk of species extinctions, and more; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HRES 762 IH 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 acidifica- tion increases, causing a proportional increase in destruc- tive coastal storms and surges, disruption of ecosystems including spawning and migration patterns of key fish- eries, 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 prop- erty damage, cost the Federal Government $350 billion; Whereas a November 2016 assessment by the Office of Man- agement and Budget (OMB) and the Council of Eco- nomic 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 an- nually 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 pri- mary natural resources such as fresh water and arable land for food production, thereby contributing to in- creased conflict, poverty, food insecurity, and instability; Whereas this increased conflict and instability, as well as lim- ited capacity to adapt to extreme weather, may force large-scale displacement and internal and cross-border VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HRES 762 IH migration of people, thereby contributing to increased risks to human security and economic systems; Whereas the impacts of climate change will often be most se- verely 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 cli- mate 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 cli- mate 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 ful- filling 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 adopt- ed renewable portfolio standard requirements, 23 States and the District of Columbia have adopted greenhouse gas emissions targets, 26 States have adopted energy ef- ficiency resource standards, 13 States have adopted zero- emission or low-emission vehicle targets, and 10 States have implemented the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initia- tive; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 6 •HRES 762 IH 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 Gov- ernors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement; Whereas more than 3,000 businesses, cities and counties, col- leges 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 (1) recognizes the 4th anniversary of the adop- 2 tion of the Paris Agreement; 3 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 7 •HRES 762 IH (2) acknowledges it is the responsibility of hu- 1 mankind to address the severe and global impacts of 2 climate change; 3 (3) supports global efforts that will keep global 4 warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahr- 5 enheit), including reduction of greenhouse gas emis- 6 sions; 7 (4) supports global efforts to protect those most 8 vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including 9 increasing the ambition of current climate financing 10 goals; 11 (5) supports policies at the Federal, State, and 12 local levels that promote the reduction of greenhouse 13 gas pollution and aim to meet the objectives of the 14 Paris Agreement; and 15 (6) recommends that the United States remain 16 a signatory to the Paris Agreement. 17 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:56 Dec 12, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR762.IH HR762 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS