III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 312 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the United States 

to address global climate change through the negotiation of fair and 

effective international commitments. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 15, 2005 

Mr. LUGAR (for himself and Mr. BIDEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for 

the United States to address global climate change 

through the negotiation of fair and effective international 

commitments. 

Whereas there is a scientific consensus, as established by the 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and confirmed by the National Academy of Sciences, that the 

continued buildup of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in 

the atmosphere threatens the stability of the global climate; 

Whereas there are significant long-term risks to the economy 

and the environment of the United States from the temperature increases and climatic disruptions that are pro-
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•SRES 312 IS

jected to result from increased greenhouse gas concentrations; 

Whereas the potential impacts of global climate change, including long-term drought, famine, mass migration, and 

abrupt climatic shifts, may lead to international tensions 

and instability in regions affected and thereby have implications for the national security interests of the United 

States; 

Whereas the United States, as the largest economy in the 

world, is also the largest greenhouse gas emitter; 

Whereas the greenhouse gas emissions of the United States 

are currently projected to continue to rise; 

Whereas the greenhouse gas emissions of developing countries 

are rising more rapidly than the emissions of the United 

States and will soon surpass the greenhouse gas emissions of the United States and other developed countries; 

Whereas reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the levels necessary to avoid serious climatic disruption requires the 

introduction of new energy technologies and other climate 

friendly technologies, the use of which results in low or 

no emissions of greenhouse gases or in the capture and 

storage of greenhouse gases; 

Whereas the development and sale of climate-friendly technologies in the United States and internationally presents 

economic opportunities for workers and businesses in the 

United States; 

Whereas climate-friendly technologies can improve air quality 

by reducing harmful pollutants from stationary and mobile sources, and can enhance energy security by reducing 

reliance on imported oil, diversifying energy sources, and 
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reducing the vulnerability of energy delivery infrastructure; 

Whereas other industrialized countries are undertaking measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which provides 

the industries in those countries with a competitive advantage in the growing global market for climate-friendly 

technologies; 

Whereas efforts to limit emissions growth in developing countries in a manner that is consistent with the development 

needs of those countries could establish significant markets for climate-friendly technologies and contribute to 

international efforts to address climate change; 

Whereas the United States is a party to the United Nations 

Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at New 

York May 9, 1992, and entered into force in 1994 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘‘Convention’’); 

Whereas the Convention sets a long-term objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at 

a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system; 

Whereas the Convention establishes that parties bear common but differentiated responsibilities for efforts to 

achieve the objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations; 

Whereas an effective global effort to address climate change 

must provide for commitments and action by all countries 

that are major emitters of greenhouse gases, developed 

and developing alike, and the widely varying circumstances among the developed and developing countries may require that such commitments and action 

vary; and 
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Whereas the United States has the capability to lead the effort against global climate change: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the 

2 United States should act to reduce the health, environ3 mental, economic, and national security risks posed by 

4 global climate change and foster sustained economic 

5 growth through a new generation of technologies, by— 

6 (1) participating in negotiations under the 

7 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 

8 Change, done at New York May 9, 1992, and en9 tered into force in 1994, and leading efforts in other 

10 international fora, with the objective of securing 

11 United States participation in agreements that— 

12 (A) advance and protect the economic and 

13 national security interests of the United States; 

14 (B) establish mitigation commitments by 

15 all countries that are major emitters of green16 house gases, consistent with the principle of 

17 common but differentiated responsibilities; 

18 (C) establish flexible international mecha19 nisms to minimize the cost of efforts by partici20 pating countries; and 

21 (D) achieve a significant long-term reduc22 tion in global greenhouse gas emissions; and 

23 (2) establishing a bipartisan Senate observer 

24 group, the members of which shall be designated by 
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1 the chairman and ranking member of the Committee 

2 on Foreign Relations of the Senate, to— 

3 (A) monitor any international negotiations 

4 on climate change; and 

5 (B) ensure that the advice and consent 

6 function of the Senate is exercised in a manner 

7 to facilitate timely consideration of any applica8 ble treaty submitted to the Senate. 

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