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. BLUMENAUER, 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 determined 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 


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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 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 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 

187 parties have ratified 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 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 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 


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twenty-first 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, contributing to desertification 

and land degradation, 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, sea level continues to 

rise at an increasing rate, with the ocean projected to experience increased temperatures, further acidification, oxygen decline, and more frequent extreme whether 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; 


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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 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 a 2017 Government Accountability Office report 

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 2025, and to contribute $3 billion 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, 26 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; 


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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 Governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 

consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement; 

Whereas more than 3,000 businesses, cities and counties, colleges 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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the 4th anniversary of the adop3 tion of the Paris Agreement; 


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1 (2) acknowledges it is the responsibility of hu2 mankind to address the severe and global impacts of 

3 climate change; 

4 (3) supports global efforts that will keep global 

5 warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahr6 enheit), including reduction of greenhouse gas emis7 sions; 

8 (4) supports global efforts to protect those most 

9 vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including 

10 increasing the ambition of current climate financing 

11 goals; 

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

13 local levels that promote the reduction of greenhouse 

14 gas pollution and aim to meet the objectives of the 

15 Paris Agreement; and 

16 (6) recommends that the United States remain 

17 a signatory to the Paris Agreement. 

Æ 


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