Title: A resolution expressing the need for bold climate action in response to the release of the United Nations report entitled "Global Warming of 1.5 C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty" and the Fourth National Climate Assessment report entitled "Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States" by the United States Global Change Research Program.
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Recognizes and accepts the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the special report on the impacts of global warming and the findings of the U.S. Global Change Research Program in the Fourth National Climate Assessment report.
Expresses the sense that immediate action by Congress and the Administration is needed to reduce greenhouse gases.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 708 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 708

Expressing the need for bold climate action in response to the release 
 of the United Nations report entitled ``Global Warming of 1.5 C, an 
 IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above 
   pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission 
 pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the 
   threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to 
 eradicate poverty'' and the Fourth National Climate Assessment report 
  entitled ``Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United 
     States'' by the United States Global Change Research Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 27, 2018

 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Van Hollen, 
  Mr. Udall, Mr. Blumenthal, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Booker, Ms. Hirono, Ms. 
    Smith, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Schatz, Mrs. 
    Feinstein, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Reed, Mrs. 
 Gillibrand, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Harris, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Hassan, and 
 Mr. Bennet) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
             the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the need for bold climate action in response to the release 
 of the United Nations report entitled ``Global Warming of 1.5 C, an 
 IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above 
   pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission 
 pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the 
   threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to 
 eradicate poverty'' and the Fourth National Climate Assessment report 
  entitled ``Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United 
     States'' by the United States Global Change Research Program.

Whereas, on October 8, 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 
        released a report entitled ``Global Warming of 1.5 C, an IPCC special 
        report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above pre-industrial 
        levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the 
        context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate 
        change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty'' 
        (referred to in this preamble as the ``IPCC report'') in response to an 
        invitation from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate 
        Change;
Whereas the IPCC report was written by 91 authors and review editors from 40 
        countries, including the United States, and was reviewed by thousands of 
        expert and government reviewers from around the world;
Whereas, on November 23, 2018, the United States Global Change Research Program 
        delivered its congressionally mandated Fourth Annual Climate Assessment 
        report entitled ``Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the 
        United States'' (referred to in this preamble as the ``NCA report'');
Whereas the NCA report represents the findings of over 300 Federal and non-
        Federal experts and was reviewed by the 13 Federal agencies that 
        comprise the United States Global Change Research Program;
Whereas the IPCC report found that--

    (1) increases in global temperature above pre-industrial levels are 
overwhelmingly the result of anthropogenic sources of atmospheric carbon 
and other greenhouse gases;

    (2) the last 50-year period in the Northern Hemisphere had the warmest 
average temperature of any 50-year period in the last 500 years;

    (3) Earth is already experiencing the consequences of 1 degree Celsius 
warming above pre-industrial levels in the form of extreme weather, rising 
sea levels, longer and more severe droughts, diminishing Arctic sea ice, 
and diminished glacial and snow cover, among other impacts;

    (4) as the global temperature continues to rise, the impacts of a 
warming atmosphere increase in severity;

    (5) the difference between warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius and 2 degrees 
Celsius is substantial, and limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is 
affordable, feasible, and necessary to protect people from the worst 
impacts of climate change, including extreme heat, drought, floods, and 
increased poverty and instability;

    (6) compared to warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, warming at or above 2 
degrees Celsius could--

    G    (A) result in a global sea level rise of an additional 10 
centimeters and substantially more summers without Arctic sea ice;

    G    (B) worsen impacts to terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine 
ecosystems; and

    G    (C) increase the risk of species loss and extinctions;

    (7) warming at or above 2 degrees Celsius could also lead to--

    G    (A) a loss of greater than 99 percent of all coral reefs on Earth; 
and

    G    (B) mass migration from regions most affected by atmospheric 
changes;

    (8) at a rise in temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the global 
population exposed to water stress could be 50 percent lower than if the 
global temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius;

    (9) the number of people exposed to extreme heat waves would rise 
substantially with an increase in global temperature of 2 degrees Celsius 
rather than 1.5 degrees Celsius;

    (10) at current rates of greenhouse gas emissions, Earth will warm by 
1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2040; and

    (11) to avoid the effects of a rise in global temperature of 1.5 
degrees Celsius by 2040, net global greenhouse gas emissions must be 
reduced by 45 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 and 100 percent below 2010 
levels by 2050;

Whereas the NCA report found that, in the United States--

    (1) rising sea levels caused by a changing climate already threaten 
infrastructure and ecosystems; and

    (2) warming at or above 2 degrees Celsius will cause--

    G    (A) over $500,000,000,000 annually in lost economic output from 
crop failure, lost labor, and damages related to extreme weather;

    G    (B) crop yields of corn and soybeans to fall an average of 15 
percent;

    G    (C) wildfires to burn at least twice as much forest area annually;

    G    (D) an additional 2,000 premature deaths annually from higher 
temperatures in the Midwest; and

    G    (E) sea levels to continue to rise, threatening public 
infrastructure and coastal real estate valued at $1,000,000,000,000;

Whereas the United States is--

    (1) a global leader;

    (2) a member of the global community and is affected by climate impacts 
such as those outlined in the IPCC report; and

    (3) already suffering from the impacts of climate change;

Whereas it is possible and economically beneficial to transition to a low-carbon 
        emission economy that would not contribute to global climate change and 
        would result in sustainable economic growth; and
Whereas the Government of the United States has failed to enact policies to 
        effectively transition to a low-carbon emission economy or to reduce 
        greenhouse gas emissions in line with scientific recommendations to 
        reduce global temperature changes: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes and accepts the findings of the 
        Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the report of 
        October 8, 2018, entitled ``Global Warming of 1.5 C, an IPCC 
        special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above 
        pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas 
        emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global 
        response to the threat of climate change, sustainable 
        development, and efforts to eradicate poverty'';
            (2) recognizes and accepts the findings of the Fourth 
        National Climate Assessment report entitled ``Volume II: 
        Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States'' by the 
        United States Global Change Research Program; and
            (3) expresses that it is the sense of the Senate that--
                    (A) reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with 
                the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on 
                Climate Change and the United States Global Change 
                Research Program would help avoid the most devastating 
                climate change impacts and would be good for all people 
                of the United States; and
                    (B) immediate action by Congress and the executive 
                branch is needed to help reduce global greenhouse gas 
                emissions by 45 percent below 2010 levels by 2030 and 
                100 percent below 2010 levels by 2050.
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