I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2887 
To provide for certain Department of State actions relating to global climate 
change, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2021 
Mr. KEATING (for himself and Ms. KAPTUR) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To provide for certain Department of State actions relating 
to global climate change, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Global Climate Change 
Diplomacy Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ACTIONS RELATING TO 
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE. 
(a) CLIMATE CHANGE OFFICERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall 
establish and staff Climate Change Officer positions. 
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Such Officers shall serve under the supervision of 
the appropriate chief of mission or the Under Sec-
retary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Envi-
ronment of the Department of State, as the case 
may be. The Secretary shall ensure each embassy, 
consulate, and diplomatic mission to which such Of-
ficers are assigned pursuant to paragraph (2) has 
sufficient additional and appropriate staff to support 
such Officers. 
(2) ASSIGNMENT.—Climate Change Officers 
shall be assigned to the following posts: 
(A) United States embassies, or, if appro-
priate, consulates. 
(B) United States diplomatic missions to, 
or liaisons with, regional and multilateral orga-
nizations, including the United States diplo-
matic missions to the European Union, African 
Union, Organization of American States, Arctic 
Council, and any other appropriate regional or-
ganization, and the United Nations and its rel-
evant specialized agencies. 
(C) Other posts as designated by the Sec-
retary. 
(3) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Each Climate Change 
Officer shall— 
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(A) provide expertise on effective ap-
proaches to— 
(i) mitigate the emission of gases 
which contribute to global climate change 
and formulate national and global plans 
for reducing such gross and net emissions; 
and 
(ii) reduce the detrimental impacts at-
tributable to global climate change, and 
adapt to such impacts; 
(B) engage and convene, in a manner that 
is equitable, inclusive, and just, with individuals 
and organizations which represent a govern-
ment office, a nongovernmental organization, a 
social or political movement, a private sector 
entity, an educational or scientific institution, 
or any other entity concerned with— 
(i) global climate change; the emission 
of gases which contribute to global climate 
change; or 
(ii) reducing the detrimental impacts 
attributable to global climate change; 
(C) facilitate engagement by United States 
entities in bilateral and multilateral cooperation 
on climate change; and 
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(D) carry out such other responsibilities as 
the Secretary may assign. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNDER SECRETARY.—The 
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the 
Environment of the Department of State shall, including 
by acting through the Bureau of Oceans and International 
Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the Department 
of State— 
(1) provide policy guidance to Climate Change 
Officers established under subsection (a); 
(2) develop relations with, consult with, and 
provide assistance to relevant individuals and organi-
zations concerned with studying, mitigating, and 
adapting to global climate change, or reducing the 
emission of gases which contribute to global climate 
change; and 
(3) assist officers and employees of regional bu-
reaus of the Department of State to develop strate-
gies and programs to promote studying, mitigating, 
and adapting to global climate change, or reducing 
the emission of gases which contribute to global cli-
mate change. 
(c) ACTIONS BY CHIEFS OF MISSION.—Each chief of 
mission in a foreign country shall— 
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(1) develop, as part of annual joint strategic 
plans or equivalent program and policy planning, a 
strategy to promote actions to improve and increase 
studying, mitigating, and adapting to global climate 
change, or reducing the emission of gases which con-
tribute to global climate change by— 
(A) consulting and coordinating with and 
providing support to relevant individuals and 
organizations, including experts and other pro-
fessionals and stakeholders on issues related to 
climate change; and 
(B) holding periodic meetings with such 
relevant individuals and organizations relating 
to such strategy; 
(2) hold ongoing discussions with the officials 
and leaders of such country regarding progress to 
improve and increase studying, mitigating, and 
adapting to global climate change, or reducing the 
emission of gases which contribute to global climate 
change in a manner that is equitable, inclusive, and 
just in such country; and 
(3) certify annually to the Secretary of State 
that to the maximum extent practicable, consider-
ations related to climate change adaptation and 
mitigation, sustainability, and the environment were 
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incorporated in activities, management, and oper-
ations of the United States embassy or other diplo-
matic post under the director of the chief of mission. 
(d) TRAINING.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
shall establish curriculum at the Department of State’s 
Foreign Service Institute that supplements political and 
economic reporting tradecraft courses in order to provide 
employees of the Department with specialized training 
with respect to studying, mitigating, and adapting to glob-
al climate change, or reducing the emission of gases which 
contribute to global climate change. Such training shall 
include the following: 
(1) Awareness of the full range of national and 
subnational agencies, offices, personnel, statutory 
authorities, funds, and programs involved in the 
international commitments of the United States re-
garding global climate change and the emission of 
gases which contribute to global climate change, the 
science of global climate change, and methods for 
mitigating and adapting to global climate change. 
(2) Awareness of methods for mitigating and 
adapting to global climate change and reducing the 
emission of gases which contribute to global climate 
change that are equitable, inclusive, and just. 
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(3) Familiarity with United States agencies, 
multilateral agencies, international financial institu-
tions, and the network of donors providing assist-
ance to mitigate and adapt to global climate change. 
(4) Awareness of the most frequently an-
nounced goals and methods of the entities specified 
in subsection (a)(3)(B). 
(e) CONTRACTING.—Contracting and agreements of-
ficers of the Department of State, and other United States 
embassy personnel responsible for contracts, grants, or ac-
quisitions, shall receive training on evaluating proposals, 
solicitations, and bids, for considerations related to sus-
tainability and adapting to or mitigating impacts from cli-
mate change. 
(f) REPORTING.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, 
the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report 
that includes a detailed breakdown of posts at which staff 
are assigned the role of Climate Change Officer, the re-
sponsibilities to which they have been assigned, and the 
strategies developed by the chief of mission, as applicable. 
(g) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that climate diplomacy tools, including the establish-
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ment of Climate Change Officers and supporting staff 
under this section, are critical for demonstrating the com-
mitment to include climate changes issues as core tenets 
of foreign policy priorities, as well as preserving the 
United States role as a global leader on climate change 
action. 
Æ 
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