Legislation to Keep U.S. in the Paris Agreement Builds on Congressional Momentum for Climate Action

March 27, 2019 /3BL Media/ The sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres applauds U.S. House leaders for taking bold action today with the introduction of new legislation aimed at tackling climate change by ensuring the U.S. remains in the historic Paris Agreement.

In June 2017, the Trump administration announced its intent to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, though the country cannot officially leave the global pact until 2020. The Climate Action Now Act, introduced by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), would prevent federal dollars from being used to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and require the federal government to develop its own plan to meet the greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals under the accord.

“We commend Rep. Castor for introducing legislation to ensure that the U.S remains competitive as the world transitions to a clean energy economy,” said Anne Kelly, vice president of government relations at Ceres. “These congressional leaders join the thousands of U.S. investors and companies who have already raised their voices to declare ‘We Are Still In’ on their commitment to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and reduce their own carbon footprint.

The We Are Still In coalition, co-founded by Ceres and several partner organizations in the weeks following the Trump announcement, now boasts more than 3,600 signatories, including governors, mayors, tribes, businesses, investors, faith organizations, colleges and universities, and represents over half of all Americans and $6.2 trillion of the U.S. economy. The movement has spurred action among cities, states, and businesses to make ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, source electricity from wind and solar, and increase investments in electric vehicles.

Kelly added:

The Climate Action Now Act will help lay the groundwork for further policy action on climate change at both the federal and state levels. Achieving the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, with an aim of keeping average global temperature rise to no more than 1.5-degrees Celsius, will require that the U.S. dramatically increase the pace and scale of climate action.

Ceres and our partners have long advocated for an ambitious and comprehensive bipartisan solution that includes market-based policies, such as a price on carbon pollution, and effective regulations — which would help drive emissions reductions across the whole economy while creating a stable, predictable policy environment for U.S. companies and communities.

We are energized by the new momentum in Washington and in states around the country, and it is clear that we are not alone. Ceres looks forward to supporting Congressional leadership as we continue our work with investors and companies to highlight the economic and business case for climate action, with policymakers on both sides of the aisle.”

Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. For more information, visit www.ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.