,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #djd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #ca1 #bjai,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,udall1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,carper1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,warner1 and ,ms4 ,hassan7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,expressing the sense of the ,senate that the ,united ,states should work in cooperation with the international community and continue to exercise global leadership to address the causes and effects of climate change1 and for other purposes4 ,whereas the consensus among climatologists and scientists studying the effects of atmospheric change1 including the ,intergovernmental ,panel on ,climate ,change1 the ,national ,academy of ,science1 the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey1 the ,national ,oceanic and ,atmospheric ,administration 7,,noaa71 the ,national ,aeronautics and ,space ,administration 7,,nasa71 and other agencies within the ,united ,states ,global ,change ,research ,program1 have determined that the impact of climate change will include widespread effects on health and welfare1 including increased outbreaks from waterborne diseases1 more droughts1 diminished agricultural production1 severe storms and floods1 heat waves1 wildfires1 and a substantial rise in global sea levels2 ,whereas the objective of the #aiib ,united ,nations ,framework ,convention on ,climate ,change 7,,unfccc7 is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system2 ,whereas1 under the ,,unfccc1 the ,united ,states is obligated to report its progress on reducing emissions2 ,whereas the ,senate provided its advice and consent to the ,,unfccc by division1 with two-thirds of ,senators present voting in the affirmative1 on ,october #g1 #aiib2 ,whereas1 in #bjaa1 at the #agth ,conference of the ,parties 7,,cop #ag7 to the ,,unfccc in ,durban1 ,south ,africa1 parties agreed to negotiate an agreement by the end of #bjae to reduce emissions in the post-#bjbj period2 ,whereas the ,,unfccc calls on parties to submit intended nationally determined contributions outlining voluntary individual targets for emissions reductions by the time parties convened in ,paris on ,november #cj1 #bjae1 for the #bast ,conference of the ,parties 7,,cop #ba7 to the ,,unfccc2 ,whereas1 prior to completing the multilateral ,paris ,agreement on international cooperation to address climate change1 done at ,paris ,december #ab1 #bjae1 #ahg nations1 representing more than #ig percent of global greenhouse gas emissions1 voluntarily submitted nationally determined goals and plans to reduce their greenhouse gas pollution2 ,whereas1 according to research and data analysis conducted independently by ,,noaa1 ,,nasa1 the ,met ,office ,hadley ,centre for ,climate ,science and ,services of the ,united ,kingdom1 the ,japan ,meteorological ,agency1 and ,berkeley ,earth1 each of the years #bjad through #bjah rank among the five warmest years on record2 ,whereas1 according to ,,nasa1 #ah of the #ai warmest years on record have occurred since #bjjj2 ,whereas1 according to ,,noaa1 #bjai will likely be the second warmest year on record1 making the last six years the warmest years on record2 ,whereas the ,united ,states-,china ,joint ,announcement on ,climate ,change of ,november #bjad included a ,united ,states goal to reduce its emissions by #bf-bh percent below #bjje levels by #bjbe and a ,chinese goal to peak emissions output by #bjcj and increase the use of non-fossil fuels to #bj percent of its overall energy portfolio by #bjcj2 ,whereas1 under the ,united ,states-,india ,joint ,announcement on ,climate and ,clean ,energy of ,january #bjae1 the two countries pledged to increase cooperation on clean energy financing and development and ,india committed to phase out use of hydrofluorocarbons and increase promotion of energy efficiency tools and reaffirmed its commitment to add #ajj gigawatts of solar capacity by #bjbb2 ,whereas small island states1 whose people are among the most vulnerable to climate change1 are threatened with partial or virtually total inundation by imminent rises in sea level and increased intensity and frequency of storms2 ,whereas ,united ,states international leadership on the global stage throughout the ,united ,nations ,framework ,convention on ,climate ,change's #bast ,conference of ,parties process resulted in unprecedented international cooperation and engagement on the development of the ,paris ,agreement2 ,whereas the ,paris ,agreement received consensus approval from the more than #aij delegates to the ,united ,nations ,framework ,convention on ,climate ,change's #bast ,conference of ,parties2 ,whereas the ,paris ,agreement reached its thresholds for entry into force faster than any other multilateral international agreement of comparable size and scope2 ,whereas1 as of the date of introduction of this resolution1 #ahg of the #aig parties to the ,paris ,agreement have officially joined the agreement1 demonstrating the urgency and importance the global community places on addressing climate change2 ,whereas studies conducted by the ,,nasa ,earth ,observatory determined that as the oceans have warmed1 polar ice has melted and porous landmasses have subsided1 global mean sea level has risen by #h inches 7#bj centimeters7 since #ahgj1 and the rate of sea level rise is faster now than at any time in the past #b1jjj years1 having doubled in the past two decades1 putting #ee to #fj percent of ,united ,states citizens who live in counties touching the ,atlantic or ,pacific ,ocean1 the ,gulf of ,mexico1 or the ,great ,lakes at risk from the effects of sea level rise2 ,whereas the ,department of ,defense has identified climate change as a threat multiplier that will increase global instability and conflict1 with the potential to increase terrorism2 ,whereas the #bjad ,quadrennial ,defense ,review states that the impacts of climate change may increase the frequency1 scale1 and complexity of future missions1 including defense support to civil authorities1 while at the same time undermining the capacity of our domestic installations to support training activities1 and notes that-- 7#a7 climate change may exacerbate water scarcity and lead to sharp increases in food costs2 7#b7 the pressures caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies1 societies1 and governance institutions around the world2 and 7#c7 these effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors abroad such as poverty1 environmental degradation1 political instability1 and social tensions--conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence2 ,whereas the ,department of ,defense report1 ,national ,security ,implications of ,climate-,related ,risks and a ,changing ,climate-- 7#a7 states that global climate change will have wide-ranging implications for ,united ,states national security interests over the foreseeable future because it will aggravate existing problems1 such as poverty1 social tensions1 environmental degradation1 ineffectual leadership1 and weak political institutions1 that threaten domestic stability in a number of countries2 and 7#b7 identifies four general areas of climate-related risks3 persistently recurring conditions such as flooding1 drought1 and higher temperatures2 more frequent and more severe extreme weather events2 sea level rise and temperature changes2 and decreases in ,arctic ice cover1 type1 and thickness2 ,whereas the ,director of ,national ,intelligence's #bjag ,global ,trends ,report determined that-- 7#a7 changes in the climate will produce more extreme weather events and put greater stress on humans and critical systems1 including oceans1 freshwater1 and biodiversity2 7#b7 these changes1 in turn1 will have direct and indirect social1 economic1 political1 and security effects2 and 7#c7 extreme weather can trigger crop failures1 wildfires1 energy blackouts1 infrastructure breakdown1 supply chain breakdowns1 migration1 and infectious disease outbreaks1 and will be more pronounced as people concentrate in climate vulnerable locations1 such as cities1 coastal areas1 and water-stressed regions2 ,whereas the ,department of ,agriculture has determined that climate change is likely to diminish continued progress on global food security through production disruptions that lead to local availability limitations and price increases1 interrupted transport conduits1 and diminished food safety1 among other causes2 ,whereas1 according to the ,world ,bank1 approximately #a1fjj1jjj1jjj people currently live in countries and regions with absolute water scarcity and the number is expected to rise to #b1hjj1jjj1jjj people by #bjbe due to the effects of climate change2 ,whereas a #bjah special report of the ,intergovernmental ,panel on ,climate ,change on the impacts of global warming of #a4e degrees ,celsius above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways found with high confidence1 in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change1 sustainable development1 and efforts to eradicate poverty1 that-- 7#a7 human activities are estimated to have caused approximately #a4j degree ,celsius of global warming above pre-industrial levels1 with a likely range of #j4h degrees ,celsius to #a4b degrees ,celsius2 7#b7 global warming is likely to reach #a4e degrees ,celsius between #bjcj and #bjeb if global warming continues to increase at the current rate2 and 7#c7 climate-related risks for natural and human systems are higher for global warming of #a4e degrees ,celsius than at present1 but lower than at #b degrees ,celsius2 and ,whereas the ,fourth ,national ,climate ,assessment 7,,nca#d7 completed in ,november #bjah1 developed by the ,united ,states ,global ,change ,research ,program1 in collaboration and cooperation with #ac ,federal agencies1 to advance understanding of the changing ,earth system and maximize efficiencies in ,federal global change research-- 7#a7 concludes that-- 7,a7 the evidence of human-caused climate change is overwhelming and continues to strengthen2 7,b7 the impacts of climate change are intensifying across the ,united ,states2 7,c7 climate-related threats to the physical1 social1 and economic well-being of the ,united ,states are rising2 and 7,d7 the impacts and costs of climate change are already being felt in the ,united ,states1 and changes in the likelihood or severity of some recent extreme weather events can now be attributed with increasingly higher confidence to human-caused warming2 and 7#b7 includes summary findings that-- 7,a7 the quality and quantity of water available for use by people and ecosystems across the ,united ,states are being affected by climate change1 increasing risks and costs to agriculture1 energy production1 industry1 recreation1 and the environment2 7,b7 impacts from climate change on extreme weather and climate-related events1 air quality1 and the transmission of disease through insects and pests1 food1 and water increasingly threaten the health and well-being of the people of the ,united ,states1 particularly vulnerable populations2 7,c7 climate change increasingly threatens the livelihoods1 economies1 health1 and cultural identities of indigenous communities by disrupting interconnected social1 physical1 and ecological systems2 7,d7 the aging and deteriorating infrastructure of the ,united ,states is further stressed by increases in heavy precipitation events1 coastal flooding1 heat1 wildfires1 and other extreme events1 as well as changes to average precipitation and temperature2 and 7,e7 without adaptation1 climate change will continue to degrade infrastructure performance over the rest of the century1 with the potential for cascading impacts that threaten the economy1 national security1 and essential services of the ,united ,states and the health and well-being of the ,united ,states people3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that it is the sense of the ,senate that the ,united ,states should-- 7#a7 work in cooperation with the international community and continue to exercise global leadership in our shared responsibilities1 including holding parties accountable for meeting their commitments1 and address the causes and effects of climate change2 7#b7 remain party to the ,paris ,agreement and the ,,unfccc2 7#c7 reassert strong leadership in implementing the ,paris ,agreement2 7#d7 as acknowledged in the ,nationally ,determined ,contribution submitted by the ,united ,states to the ,,unfccc in #bjae1 take action to substantially accelerate the current pace of greenhouse gas emission reductions in order to achieve1 or surpass1 the emissions reduction target of the ,united ,states2 7#e7 ensure that the development of the policies and procedures prescribed by the ,paris ,agreement achieve maximum benefits for the ,united ,states2 and 7#f7 implement its commitments under the ,paris ,agreement and the ,,unfccc4