IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 660 

Recognizing the 2d anniversary of the adoption of the international Paris 

Agreement on climate change. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 12, 2017 

Mr. LOWENTHAL (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. BEYER, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. 

HUFFMAN, Mr. KILMER, Ms. LEE, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. 

LIPINSKI, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. PETERS, Mr. POCAN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RUSH, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TONKO, and Ms. GABBARD) 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 2d 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) 2 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; 


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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 

170 parties have ratified the Paris Agreement; 

Whereas the United States is the only country with the intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement; 

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 National Climate Assessment, the 

global average temperature is projected to increase worldwide by 2.5 to 11.5 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; 


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Whereas, according to the National Climate Assessment, the 

global sea level is projected to rise another 0.8 to 6.6 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 the Government Accountability Office 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 


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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 2030, and to contribute $3 billion to 

the Green Climate Fund; 

Whereas the economy of the United States grew by 15 percent between 2005 and 2015, while net greenhouse gas 

emissions decreased by 11.5 percent during that period; 

Whereas 30 States have adopted renewable electricity standard requirements, 20 States have adopted greenhouse gas 

emissions targets, 20 States have adopted energy efficiency resource standards, 10 States have adopted zeroemission vehicle targets, and 9 States have implemented 


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the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and additional 

States may soon join; 

Whereas 47 cities in the United States have adopted 100 percent clean and renewable energy goals; 

Whereas the States, cities, Tribal nations, businesses, and institutions of higher education of the United States that 

support the objectives of the Paris Agreement represent 

more than half of the gross domestic product of the 

United States; 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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the 2d anniversary of the adop3 tion of the Paris Agreement; 

4 (2) acknowledges it is the responsibility of hu5 mankind to address the severe and global impacts of 

6 climate change; 

7 (3) supports global efforts that will keep global 

8 warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahr9 enheit), including reduction of greenhouse gas emis10 sions; 

11 (4) supports global efforts to protect those most 

12 vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including 

13 increasing the ambition of current climate financing 

14 goals; 


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1 (5) supports policies at the Federal, State, and 

2 local level that promote the reduction of greenhouse 

3 gas pollution and aim to meet the objectives of the 

4 Paris Agreement; and 

5 (6) recommends that the United States remain 

6 a signatory to the Paris Agreement. 

Æ 


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