The International Climate Treaty and U.S. Legislation
Negotiations to achieve international agreement on a global climate treaty are underway and are scheduled to culminate during the December 2009 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Copenhagen. These negotiations provide the United States with an excellent opportunity for renewed world leadership on clean technology, energy conservation, and global security. Moreover, international cooperation towards addressing climate change will provide additional opportunities for U.S. businesses that are focused on clean technology to thrive from exports.
Development of domestic climate and energy legislation and the international climate negotiations are running on a parallel schedule, which provides Congress with an opportunity to influence the outcome of the international process. The U.S. negotiators, appointed by the State Department, take their cues from Congress, because treaties must be voted on by the U.S. Senate and pass with a two-thirds majority to be ratified. The negotiators do not want to bring home something that the Senate will not ratify.
With the international climate negotiations underway, the world is watching development of U.S. climate policy closely. It is imperative that Congress quickly move a climate and energy bill toward becoming law to show the progress and commitment of the United States to helping prevent the worst effects of climate change. Passing a strong bill through both the House of Representatives and Senate this year will strengthen the U.S. delegation’s ability to help forge a strong climate treaty by December in Copenhagen. If the United States continues to make progress towards a strong domestic national climate policy simultaneous to the international process, other countries of the UNFCCC will be encouraged to join the efforts towards reducing emissions.
Strong Policies Needed in Domestic Legislation for International Success
It is crucial that the legislation developed by Congress is strong enough to provide the U.S. delegation a robust foundation from which to negotiate. To the international community, one of the most important factors of a U.S. climate and energy bill is deep reduction targets for U.S. global warming pollution. Specifically, the U.S. targets must be on par with those of other leading developed nations. Setting targets at these levels will indicate that the United States is truly committed to moving forward by reducing heat-trapping emissions and taking responsibility for our part in global warming. It will also help secure reciprocal action from key developing countries whose contribution to the global goal of reducing emissions is critical to avoiding dangerous climate change.
In addition to creating a plan to limit our global warming pollution domestically, providing funding to help developing countries reduce their pollution and adapt to global warming is the best way to encourage all nations to agree on global targets.
The United States can demonstrate cooperation with developing nations in the following ways:
- Funding tropical forest protection in developing countries, which will help reduce global heat-trapping emissions as well as promote sustainable development. Tropical deforestation has been estimated to account for up to 15 percent of the world’s global warming pollution, and the world cannot fully address global warming without addressing this source.
- Funding international adaptation to help the world’s most vulnerable peoples adjust to the effects of global warming from which they are already suffering. Adaptation actions will reduce or avoid tensions around such issues as water sources and food shortages, thus alleviating global security problems.
- Funding the sharing and transfer of clean technology to developing countries will help these nations to lower their global warming pollution. U.S. businesses and green workers could benefit from the exports of clean technology.
This critical funding will demonstrate a vital committment by Congress to the global effort to reduce heat-trapping emissions and support survival of the world’s most vulnerable in the face of inevitable global warming impacts. The United States should match the funding other developed nations have already provided for these efforts. For example, Norway has pledged to provide $500 million per year, for five years, to reduce deforestation.
Current Climate Legislation
The House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act in late June 2009. This represents an important milestone, but the bill must be strengthened as it goes through the Senate in the fall. The near-term emissions targets in this legislation must be strengthened to approach the targets adopted by other developed nations. The bill creates a limit on how much global warming pollution can be emitted. Companies must purchase permits from the government to emit specified amounts of pollution. This creates a financial incentive for companies to pursue clean, efficient technologies, because they can save money by purchasing fewer permits, or make money by selling their permits to other polluters. Under the bill, only 1 percent of the revenue from the sale of these permits is allocated for international funding for adaptation and clean technology, which must be increased. The international funding allocation for protection of tropical forests must be kept at 5 percent of the revenue. A stronger bill would create the conditions necessary to secure a robust international climate treaty. It would also foster a transition to a clean energy economy, which could form the basis of an economic recovery in the United States and abroad.
Next Steps for Congress
The United States must pass strong domestic legislation that addresses mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing—the necessary pillars for addressing climate change on an international level. Furthermore, members of Congress and their staff should engage substantively in the negotiations process by attending UNFCCC meetings such as the Conference of Parties in Copenhagen. As the end of 2009 approaches, both the international negotiations and the U.S. domestic process are reaching a critical point, and Congress can play a key role in achieving success on both fronts.
