IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 106

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the negotiation of an

international climate change agreement.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 25, 1997

Mr. GILCHREST (for himself, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. EHLERS, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.

PORTER, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. BOEHLERT, Ms. RIVERS, Mr.

GILMAN, Mr. BROWN of California, Mrs. Morella, and Mr. MILLER of

California) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the

negotiation of an international climate change agreement.

Whereas the world’s leading climate scientists, through the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),

have concluded ‘‘that the balance of evidence suggests a

discernible human influence on global climate’’;

Whereas the IPCC and other scientific bodies have warned

that continued uncontrolled emissions of greenhouse

gases could cause damage to our public health, economy,

and environment due to (1) shifts in agricultural productivity that could threaten local and regional food supplies;

(2) an intensified hydrological cycle resulting in regional

increases in extreme precipitation, flooding, and
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HCON 106 IH

droughts; (3) severe declines in the biological diversity of

our forests, fisheries, wildlife, and water resources due to

shifts in climate; and (4) rise in sea level which could

devastate coastal areas through destruction of sensitive

beaches, flooding of barrier islands, coastal wetlands and

farmland, increased damage from storm tides, and saltwater intrusion into rivers and other freshwater bodies;

Whereas the IPCC estimates that carbon dioxide released

now will remain in the atmosphere for a century or more;

Whereas the National Academy of Sciences has found that

the efficiency of practically every end use of energy can

be improved and that the United States could reduce its

greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40 percent of 1990

levels at low cost or net savings;

Whereas research and development has led to many technologies and policy options to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions in all sectors, including vehicles, power plants,

buildings, and industry, which leading economists have

found can improve United States productivity and entail

a net economic benefit;

Whereas increased reliance on advanced technologies will

produce additional benefits for the United States, such as

expansion of our role as a leading exporter of renewable

energy technologies and reduction in our dependency on

foreign oil and balance of trade deficit;

Whereas in 1992 the Bush Administration committed to returning United States greenhouse gas emissions to 1990

levels by the year 2000 using nonbinding, voluntary

mechanisms, yet the Energy Information Administration

estimates actual United States emissions will be 15 percent above 1990 levels in the year 2000; and
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Whereas climate change is an issue of global significance and

can be addressed adequately only through multilateral action: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress of the

3 United States that the United States should take all nec4 essary steps, both domestically and internationally, to pro5 tect the Earth’s climate from dangerous climate change.

6 The United States should take a leadership role in nego7 tiating an international climate change agreement that—

8 (1) contains legally binding targets and time9 tables beginning in 2005 for reducing greenhouse

10 gas emissions substantially below 1990 levels;

11 (2) provides for participation by developing na12 tions; and

13 (3) is fair, enforceable, and provides options for

14 nations to achieve necessary greenhouse gas reduc15 tions in a cost-effective manner.

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