U.S. Senate steps up on climate Introduces bill to stay in Paris Climate Accord

PennEnvironment

[Pennsylvania]- Yesterday, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Bob Menendez (NJ) and Tom Carper (DE) introduced the ”International Climate Accountability Act” (S.1743). This bill is a companion bill to the House’s Climate Action Now Act (HR 9), which passed by a bipartisan majority last month.This legislation aims to keep the United States on track to stay in the Paris Climate Accord, which President Donald Trump has vowed to withdraw from.

The legislation would ensure that the United States meets its international commitment to cut carbon emissions by at least 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. It calls for a strategic plan from the Trump administration to meet these goals and defunds any effort to quit the agreement.

Flora Cardoni, Climate Defender Campaign Director with PennEnvironment issued the following statement:

“With carbon dioxide levels higher than ever recorded in human history, the time for Congress to take action to cut planet-warming pollution and stop the worst impacts of climate change has long passed. Still, this is a critical and welcome step forward in the Senate and we are thankful that Senator Casey has signed onto this bill as a co-sponsor. We now call on Leader McConnell to bring this bill to a vote, and we implore every senator to read this short, straightforward legislation and to strongly support it.

“Climate scientists continue to sound the alarm on the growing dangers of climate change. Just two weeks ago, a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences warned that sea levels could rise by more than six feet by 2100, swamping our coastal cities, ecosystems and farmland. Already, we are experiencing record-breaking extreme weather that has caused devastating hardship across the middle of our country. And here in Pennsylvania, we’re already feeling the impacts of climate change, including increased extreme downpours that lead to flash flooding, dangerous extreme heat days, and worsening air quality.  

“We have no more time to waste. The legislative mechanisms are in place to make the important change we need, but the Senate must lead on climate right now to ensure that future generations of Pennsylvanians and Americans have a livable climate to enjoy.”

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PennEnvironment is a citizen-based, statewide environmental advocacy organization working to ensure clean air, clean water, and protecting Pennsylvania’s great natural heritage. For more information about this and other PennEnvironment projects, visit www.PennEnvironment.org.