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. BLU-
MENAUER, 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 de-
termined 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 de-
grees 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 par-
ties to the UNFCCC, the principal framework to stabilize 
greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would pre-
vent dangerous human-induced interference with the cli-
mate 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 an-
nounced 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 un-
equivocal and evident from the increasing greenhouse gas 
concentrations in the atmosphere, positive radiative forc-
ing, observed warming, and understanding of the climate 
system; 
Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli-
mate 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 Cli-
mate 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 ex-
acerbate existing risks to livelihoods, biodiversity, human 
and ecosystem health, infrastructure, and food systems; 
Whereas according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli-
mate 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 ex-
perience increased temperatures, further acidification, ox-
ygen decline, and more frequent extreme whether events, 
exacerbating risks for human communities in low-lying 
coastal areas; 
Whereas according to the National Climate Assessment, im-
pacts of climate change are already being felt in commu-
nities 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 perma-
frost at high altitude, increase of flooding, wildfires, 
droughts, heat waves, cyclones, and other extreme weath-
er 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 acidifica-
tion increases, causing a proportional increase in destruc-
tive coastal storms and surges, disruption of ecosystems 
including spawning and migration patterns of key fish-
eries, 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 prop-
erty damage, cost the Federal Government $350 billion; 
Whereas a November 2016 assessment by the Office of Man-
agement and Budget (OMB) and the Council of Eco-
nomic 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 an-
nually 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 pri-
mary natural resources such as fresh water and arable 
land for food production, thereby contributing to in-
creased conflict, poverty, food insecurity, and instability; 
Whereas this increased conflict and instability, as well as lim-
ited 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 se-
verely 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 cli-
mate 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 cli-
mate 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 ful-
filling 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 adopt-
ed renewable portfolio standard requirements, 23 States 
and the District of Columbia have adopted greenhouse 
gas emissions targets, 26 States have adopted energy ef-
ficiency resource standards, 13 States have adopted zero- 
emission or low-emission vehicle targets, and 10 States 
have implemented the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initia-
tive; 
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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 Gov-
ernors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 
consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement; 
Whereas more than 3,000 businesses, cities and counties, col-
leges 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 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the 4th anniversary of the adop-
tion of the Paris Agreement; 
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(2) acknowledges it is the responsibility of hu-
mankind to address the severe and global impacts of 
climate change; 
(3) supports global efforts that will keep global 
warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahr-
enheit), including reduction of greenhouse gas emis-
sions; 
(4) supports global efforts to protect those most 
vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including 
increasing the ambition of current climate financing 
goals; 
(5) supports policies at the Federal, State, and 
local levels that promote the reduction of greenhouse 
gas pollution and aim to meet the objectives of the 
Paris Agreement; and 
(6) recommends that the United States remain 
a signatory to the Paris Agreement. 
Æ 
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