Democrats Explore Economic and Health Benefits Made Possible by the Paris Climate Agreement
(Washington, DC) – Today, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing titled, “Paris Climate Promise: A Bad Deal for America.” This hearing is a follow-up to a December 1, 2015 hearing titled “Pitfalls of Unilateral Negotiations at the Paris Climate Change Conference.” The hearing served as another forum for the Majority to continue their attacks against the Obama Administration’s Climate Action Plan, the well-established science of climate change, and the legal justification for abiding by an international agreement to address climate change. Democratic Members focused on the real-world benefits that will flow from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said in her opening statement, “The Paris agreement formalized what many across the world already knew must be done to meaningfully address our most serious environmental challenge. Establishing a commitment to action, not for some, but for all countries, is the first step towards a comprehensive global strategy to reduce carbon emissions. This commitment demands transparency, again not for some, but for all countries, to ensure that effective policies are put in place and that the objective of the agreement--to limit the warming of our planet-- is accomplished.
“We can accomplish this in three ways. First, we need to support the private sector’s growing recognition of the threats posed by climate change; second, as our private sector responds to stable market signals, we must continue to identify opportunities for the federal government to invest in research and technologies that put us on a path to prevent a rise in global temperatures above two degrees Celsius; and third, we must capture the momentum of the Paris agreement and take a leadership role in addressing the challenge of climate change, and not just react to changes as they occur.”
Ranking Member Johnson also recognized in her remarks the damaging rhetoric of climate denial, and stated, “the reality is that the audience for those views is shrinking as the reality of climate change becomes evident.”
Democratic Members of the Committee spoke about the effects of climate change on local industries within the United States, and the need to act with urgency to combat the consequences, such as ocean acidification, rising sea levels and declining air quality. Members also discussed the importance of the U.S. government working with the private sector to promote development of clean energy technologies that support economic and job growth.
Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute, said, “There’s an overwhelming sense now on the part of business leadership of the largest companies in the world that we have to do something about climate change, and doing it smartly will make us more efficient and more competitive.
“The United States has the opportunity in the coming years to lay the foundation for a path to economic growth that delivers significant climate benefits. By bringing a spirit of competition, ingenuity, and innovation to the climate challenge, the United States can be a leader in delivering the improvements in energy efficiency, the cleaner fuels, and the new technologies and processes that can lower emissions and create net economic benefits.”
Dr. Steer concluded with an encouraging observation from the conference, “In Paris, there was a remarkable [sense of] gratitude for United States leadership, and I think we should be proud of that. We wouldn’t have the deal without United States leadership.”
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