IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 660 
Recognizing the 2d anniversary of the adoption of the international Paris 
Agreement on climate change. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2017 
Mr. LOWENTHAL (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BEYER, Mr. BLU-
MENAUER, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. 
HUFFMAN, Mr. KILMER, Ms. LEE, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. 
LIPINSKI, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNER-
NEY, Mr. PETERS, Mr. POCAN, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RUSH, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TONKO, and Ms. GABBARD) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Af-
fairs, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the 2d 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 
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 2 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; 
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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 
170 parties have ratified the Paris Agreement; 
Whereas the United States is the only country with the inten-
tion to withdraw from the Paris Agreement; 
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 
twenty-first century will lead to severe, widespread, and 
irreversible impacts globally; 
Whereas, according to the National Climate Assessment, the 
global average temperature is projected to increase world-
wide by 2.5 to 11.5 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 flood-
ing, 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 
global sea level is projected to rise another 0.8 to 6.6 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, dis-
placement of people on vulnerable coastlines and islands, 
and more; 
Whereas the Government Accountability Office found that cli-
mate-related impacts, such as coastal property 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 2030, and to contribute $3 billion to 
the Green Climate Fund; 
Whereas the economy of the United States grew by 15 per-
cent between 2005 and 2015, while net greenhouse gas 
emissions decreased by 11.5 percent during that period; 
Whereas 30 States have adopted renewable electricity stand-
ard requirements, 20 States have adopted greenhouse gas 
emissions targets, 20 States have adopted energy effi-
ciency resource standards, 10 States have adopted zero- 
emission vehicle targets, and 9 States have implemented 
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the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and additional 
States may soon join; 
Whereas 47 cities in the United States have adopted 100 per-
cent clean and renewable energy goals; 
Whereas the States, cities, Tribal nations, businesses, and in-
stitutions of higher education of the United States that 
support the objectives of the Paris Agreement represent 
more than half of the gross domestic product of the 
United States; 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 2d anniversary of the adop-
tion of the Paris Agreement; 
(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; 
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(5) supports policies at the Federal, State, and 
local level 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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