IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1260 

Recognizing the 5th anniversary of the adoption of the international Paris 

Agreement on climate change. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 10, 2020 

Mr. LOWENTHAL (for himself, Mr. BEYER, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Ms. 

BARRAGA ́N, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. CASTEN of Illinois, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. 

LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. SIRES, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. WELCH, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 

SMITH of Washington, Mr. RUSH, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. 

KHANNA, Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. CASE, Ms. MENG, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. 

CARSON of Indiana, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, Ms. BROWNLEY of 

California, Mr. MCEACHIN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. ROYBALALLARD, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. KEATING, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. TONKO, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. KILMER, Mr. 

GOMEZ, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 

MALONEY of New York, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. NADLER, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. TRONE, Mr. 

PETERS, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. COHEN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. VARGAS, 

Mr. LEVIN of California, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. CORREA, 

Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, 

Ms. ESCOBAR, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, and Mr. 

MCGOVERN) 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 5th anniversary of the adoption of the 

international Paris Agreement on climate change. 


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Whereas the Paris Agreement, adopted by the Conference of 

the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention 

on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 5 years ago on December 

12, 2015, represents the first comprehensive agreement 

among all countries to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius compared with the preindustrial era; 

Whereas the Paris Agreement urges efforts to limit global 

warming to one and a half degrees Celsius; 

Whereas there are 197 parties, including the United States, 

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 194 parties have signed the Paris Agreement, and 

189 parties have adopted the Paris Agreement; 

Whereas, on June 1, 2017, President Donald J. Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States 

from the Paris Agreement; 

Whereas, on May 2, 2019, the House of Representatives 

passed in a bipartisan vote H.R. 9, the Climate Action 

Now Act, that would have kept the United States in 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, on November 4, 2020, the United States became 

the first and only signatory of the Paris Agreement to 

withdraw; 

Whereas, on November 4, 2020, President-elect Joseph R. 

Biden, Jr., stated that the United States would rejoin the 


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Paris Agreement on January 20, 2021, the first day the 

new administration will take office; 

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 sustained, robust Federal support of climate science, 

observations, and modeling plays a key role in understanding the impacts of climate change in the United 

States and around the world, and will increase in importance as communities and the economy continue to feel 

the intensifying effects of climate change; 

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 

21st century will lead to severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts globally; 

Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 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, is contributing to 

desertification and land degradation, and is creating 

stresses on land that exacerbate existing risks to livelihoods, biodiversity, human and ecosystem health, infrastructure, and food systems; 

Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on the Ocean and 

Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, the sea level conVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:13 Dec 11, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1260.IH HR1260

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tinues to rise at an increasing rate, with the ocean projected to experience increased temperatures, further 

acidification, oxygen decline, and more frequent extreme 

weather events, exacerbating risks for human communities in low-lying coastal areas; 

Whereas according to the National Climate Assessment, impacts of climate change are already being felt in communities 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 permafrost at high altitude, increase of flooding, wildfires, 

droughts, heat waves, cyclones, and other extreme weather events, greater risk of species extinctions, and more; 

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 acidification increase, 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 a 2017 Government Accountability Office report 

found that climate-related impacts, such as coastal property damage, cost the Federal Government 

$350,000,000,000; 

Whereas a November 2016 assessment by the Office of Management and Budget and the Council of Economic Advisers found that recurring costs as a result of climate 


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change could increase the Federal Government’s expenses 

by $12,000,000,000 to $35,000,000,000 a year by 

midcentury, possibly reaching more than 

$100,000,000,000 annually by the end of the century; 

Whereas climate change not only threatens the 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 both internal and cross-border 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 $100,000,000,000 of cliVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:13 Dec 11, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1260.IH HR1260

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mate 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 $3,000,000,000 

to the Green Climate Fund; 

Whereas 29 States and the District of Columbia have adopted renewable portfolio standard requirements, 23 States 

and the District of Columbia have adopted greenhouse 

gas emissions targets, 27 States have adopted energy efficiency resource standards, 13 States have adopted zeroemission or low-emission vehicle targets, and 10 States 

have implemented the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; 

Whereas more than 160 cities in the United States have 

adopted 100 percent clean and renewable energy goals 

and 6 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, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa have 

joined the United States Climate Alliance, a bipartisan 

coalition of Governors committed to reducing greenhouse 

gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris 

Agreement; 

Whereas more than 3,000 bipartisan businesses, cities and 

counties, colleges and universities, cultural institutions, 


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health care organizations, faith groups, States, and Tribal nations have signed the ‘‘We’re Still In’’ declaration, 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the 5th anniversary of the adop3 tion of the Paris Agreement; 

4 (2) acknowledges that it is the responsibility of 

5 humankind to address the severe and global impacts 

6 of 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, including increasing 

12 the ambition of current climate financing goals, to 

13 protect those most vulnerable to the effects of cli14 mate change; 

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

16 local levels that promote the reduction of greenhouse 


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1 gas pollution and aim to meet the objectives of the 

2 Paris Agreement; and 

3 (6) recommends that the United States rejoins 

4 the Paris Agreement. 

Æ 


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