{ "id": "R44609", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R44609", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 462282, "date": "2017-06-28", "retrieved": "2018-05-10T13:04:16.787772", "title": "Climate Change: Frequently Asked Questions About the 2015 Paris Agreement", "summary": "The Paris Agreement (PA) to address climate change internationally entered into force on November 4, 2016. The United States is one of 149 Parties to the treaty; President Barack Obama accepted the agreement rather than ratifying it with the advice and consent of the Senate. On June 1, 2017, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the agreement and that his Administration would seek to reopen negotiations on the PA or on a new \u201ctransaction.\u201d Following the provisions of the PA, U.S. withdrawal could take effect as early as November 2020. \nExperts broadly agree that stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere to avoid dangerous GHG-induced climate change would require concerted efforts by all large emitting nations. The United States is the second largest emitter of GHG globally after China. Toward this purpose, the PA outlines goals and a structure for international cooperation to slow climate change and mitigate its impacts over decades to come. \nThe PA is subsidiary to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which the United States ratified in 1992 with the advice and consent of the Senate and which entered into force in 1994. The PA requires that nations submit pledges to abate their GHG emissions, set goals to adapt to climate change, and cooperate toward these ends, including mobilization of financial and other support. The negotiators intended the PA to be legally binding on its Parties, though not all provisions in it are mandatory. Some are recommendations or collective commitments to which it would be difficult to hold an individual Party accountable. Key aspects of the agreement include:\nTemperature goal. The PA defines a collective, long-term objective to hold the GHG-induced increase in temperature to well below 2o Celsius (C) and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5o C above the pre-industrial level. A periodic \u201cglobal stocktake\u201d will assess progress toward the goals. \nSingle GHG mitigation framework. The PA establishes a process, with a ratchet mechanism in five-year increments, for all countries to set and achieve GHG emission mitigation pledges until the long-term goal is met. For the first time under the UNFCCC, all Parties participate in a common framework with common guidance, though some Parties are allowed flexibility in line with their capacities. This largely supersedes the bifurcated mitigation obligations of developed and developing countries that held the negotiations in often-adversarial stasis for many years.\nAccountability framework. To promote compliance, the PA balances accountability to build and maintain trust (if not certainty) with the potential for public and international pressure (\u201cname-and-shame\u201d). Also, the PA establishes a compliance mechanism that will be expert-based and facilitative rather than punitive. Many Parties and observers will closely monitor the effectiveness of this strategy.\nAdaptation. The PA also requires \u201cas appropriate\u201d that Parties prepare and communicate their plans to adapt to climate change. Adaptation communications will be recorded in a public registry.\nCollective financial obligation. The PA reiterates the collective obligation in the UNFCCC for developed country Parties to provide financial resources\u2014public and private\u2014to assist developing country Parties with mitigation and adaptation efforts. It urges scaling up of financing. The Parties agreed to set, prior to their 2025 meeting, a new collective quantified goal for mobilizing financial resources of not less than $100 billion annually to assist developing country Parties.\nObama Administration officials stated that the PA is not a treaty requiring Senate advice and consent to ratification. President Obama signed an instrument of acceptance on behalf of the United States on August 29, 2016, without submitting it to Congress. In 2015, Members of the 114th Congress introduced several resolutions (e.g., S.Res. 329, S.Res. 290, H.Res. 544, S.Con.Res. 25) to express the sense that the PA should be submitted for the advice and consent of the Senate. Additionally, resolutions were introduced in the House (H.Con.Res. 97, H.Con.Res. 105,H.Res. 218) to oppose the PA or set conditions on its signature or ratification by the United States. None received further action. In the 115th Congress, a number of resolutions have also been introduced to oppose or support U.S. participation in the PA (e.g., H.Con.Res. 55, H.Res. 85, H.Res. 390, S.Con.Res. 17).\nBeyond the Senate\u2019s role in giving advice and consent to a treaty, Congress continues to exercise its powers through authorizations and appropriations for related federal actions. Additionally, numerous issues may attract congressional oversight, such as: \nprocedures for withdrawal; \nforeign policy, technological, and economic implications of withdrawal; \npossible objectives and provisions of renegotiation of the PA or of a new \u201ctransaction\u201d for cooperation internationally; \ninternational rules and guidance to carry out the PA; \nfinancial contributions and uses of finances mobilized; and \nassessment of the effectiveness of other Parties\u2019 efforts.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44609", "sha1": "975cdf7e090ca4818deac49efcf214bcb76046ed", "filename": "files/20170628_R44609_975cdf7e090ca4818deac49efcf214bcb76046ed.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44609_files&id=/1.png": "files/20170628_R44609_images_ead94ca5c4d0aa21be2c3e2a33c09ea2a0ee3050.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44609_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170628_R44609_images_7bdf38ef7f2680bc9284dc9e34ead0c28ab92252.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44609", "sha1": "5b7fa0b122660c5ef0bee624021d4e31b0443014", "filename": "files/20170628_R44609_5b7fa0b122660c5ef0bee624021d4e31b0443014.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4842, "name": "Climate Change" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 456265, "date": "2016-10-05", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:27:04.808800", "title": "Climate Change: Frequently Asked Questions about the 2015 Paris Agreement", "summary": "The Paris Agreement (PA) to address climate change internationally is set to take effect on November 4, 2016. Experts broadly agree that stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere to avoid dangerous GHG-induced climate change could be accomplished only with concerted efforts by all large emitting nations. Toward this purpose, the PA outlines goals and a structure for international cooperation to slow climate change and mitigate its impacts over decades to come. \nThe PA enters into force on November 4, 2016\u201430 days after at least 55 countries, representing at least 55% of officially reported GHG emissions, deposited their ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession with the U.N. depositary. The threshold was passed on October 5, 2016, at which point 72 states\u2014representing more than 56% of global GHG emissions\u2014had deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, or approval. President Barack Obama deposited the U.S. instrument with U.N. Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon on September 3, 2016, synchronously with China. Additional governments that have deposited their instruments include the major emitters Brazil, the European Union, India, Mexico, South Korea, and Ukraine. Others represent a spectrum of emissions and economies, from Albania to Vanuatu.\nThe PA is subsidiary to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which the United States ratified in 1992 with the advice and consent of the Senate and which entered into force in 1994. The PA requires that nations submit pledges to abate their GHG emissions, set goals to adapt to climate change, and cooperate toward these ends, including mobilization of financial and other support. The negotiators intended the PA to be legally binding on its Parties, though not all provisions in it are mandatory. Some are recommendations or collective commitments to which it would be difficult to hold an individual Party accountable. Key aspects of the agreement include:\nTemperature goal. The PA defines a collective, long-term objective to hold the GHG-induced increase in temperature to well below 2o Celsius (C) and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5o C above the pre-industrial level. A periodic \u201cglobal stocktake\u201d will assess progress toward the goals. \nSingle GHG mitigation framework. The PA establishes a process, with a ratchet mechanism in five-year increments, for all countries to set and achieve GHG emission mitigation pledges until the long-term goal is met. For the first time under the UNFCCC, all Parties participate in a common framework with common guidance, though some Parties are allowed flexibility in line with their capacities. This largely supersedes the bifurcated mitigation obligations of developed and developing countries that have held the negotiations in often-adversarial stasis for many years.\nAccountability framework. To promote compliance, the PA balances accountability to build and maintain trust (if not certainty) with the potential for public and international pressure (\u201cname-and-shame\u201d). Also, the PA establishes a compliance mechanism that will be expert-based and facilitative rather than punitive. Many Parties and observers will closely monitor the effectiveness of this strategy.\nAdaptation. The PA also requires \u201cas appropriate\u201d that Parties prepare and communicate their plans to adapt to climate change. Adaptation communications will be recorded in a public registry.\nCollective financial obligation. The PA reiterates the collective obligation in the UNFCCC for developed country Parties to provide financial resources\u2014public and private\u2014to assist developing country Parties with mitigation and adaptation efforts. It urges scaling up of financing. The Parties agreed to set, prior to their 2025 meeting, a new collective quantified goal for mobilizing financial resources of not less than $100 billion annually to assist developing country Parties.\nU.S. executive branch officials stated that the PA is not a treaty requiring Senate advice and consent to ratification. President Obama signed an instrument of acceptance on behalf of the United States on August 29, 2016, without submitting it to Congress. In contrast, some Members of Congress in 2015 introduced four resolutions (S.Res. 25, S.Res. 329, S.Res. 290, and H.Res. 544) to express the sense that the PA should be submitted for the advice and consent of the Senate. Additionally, resolutions were introduced in the House (H.Con.Res. 97 and H.Res. 218) to oppose the PA or set conditions on its signature or ratification by the United States. None received further action.\nBeyond the Senate\u2019s role in giving advice and consent to a treaty, Congress continues to exercise its powers through authorizations and appropriations for related federal actions. Additionally, numerous issues may attract congressional oversight, such as international rules to be developed to carry out the PA, guidance to Parties, use of funds, and assessment of the effectiveness of other Parties\u2019 efforts.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44609", "sha1": "fdaf59c151007c8aa3019eccfd67ebf2c100f28c", "filename": "files/20161005_R44609_fdaf59c151007c8aa3019eccfd67ebf2c100f28c.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44609", "sha1": "ad6a062ee47bd9b885bab8496f28b24528cc6550", "filename": "files/20161005_R44609_ad6a062ee47bd9b885bab8496f28b24528cc6550.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4842, "name": "Climate Change" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455485, "date": "2016-09-01", "retrieved": "2016-09-09T18:33:17.196767", "title": "Climate Change: Frequently Asked Questions about the 2015 Paris Agreement", "summary": "Experts broadly agree that stabilizing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere to avoid dangerous GHG-induced climate change could be accomplished only with concerted efforts by all large emitting nations. Toward this purpose, delegations of 195 nations adopted the Paris Agreement (PA) on December 12, 2015. The PA outlines goals and a structure for international cooperation to slow climate change and mitigate its impacts over decades to come. \nThe PA opened for signature by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on April 22, 2016, at U.N. headquarters in New York City. Heads of state and ministers from more than 175 governments signed the PA, a record for a single day. Signature generally indicates that a nation state intends to be bound by the agreement, and it initiates the process by which a prospective Party follows its domestic procedures to ratify, accept, approve, or accede to the agreement. A government then deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession with the U.N. depositary. The PA will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, representing at least 55% of officially reported GHG emissions, deposit their instruments. As of August 10, 2016, 22 states\u2014representing 1.08% of global GHG emissions\u2014had deposited their instruments of ratification. Based on stated intentions of many nations to deposit their instruments in 2016, including the United States and China, some experts suggest that the PA could enter into force by the end of 2016.\nThe PA creates a structure for nations to pledge to abate their GHG emissions, set goals to adapt to climate change, and cooperate toward these ends, including financial and other support. The negotiators intended the PA to be legally binding on its Parties, though not all provisions in it are mandatory. Some are recommendations or collective commitments to which it would be difficult to hold an individual Party accountable. Key aspects of the agreement include:\nTemperature goal. The PA defines a collective, long-term objective to hold the GHG-induced increase in temperature to well below 2o Celsius (C) and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5o C above the pre-industrial level. A periodic \u201cglobal stocktake\u201d will assess progress toward the goals. \nSingle GHG mitigation framework. The PA establishes a process, with a ratchet mechanism in five-year increments, for all countries to set and achieve GHG emission mitigation pledges until the long-term goal is met. For the first time under the UNFCCC, all Parties participate in a common framework with common guidance, though some Parties are allowed flexibility in line with their capacities. This largely supersedes the bifurcated mitigation obligations of developed and developing countries that have held the negotiations in often-adversarial stasis for many years.\nAccountability framework. To promote compliance, the PA balances accountability to build and maintain trust (if not certainty) with the potential for public and international pressure (\u201cname-and-shame\u201d). Also, the PA establishes a compliance mechanism that will be expert-based and facilitative rather than punitive. Many Parties and observers will closely monitor the effectiveness of this strategy.\nAdaptation. The PA also requires \u201cas appropriate\u201d that Parties prepare and communicate their plans to adapt to climate change. Adaptation communications will be recorded in a public registry.\nCollective financial obligation. The PA reiterates the collective obligation in the UNFCCC for developed country Parties to provide financial resources\u2014public and private\u2014to assist developing country Parties with mitigation and adaptation efforts. It urges scaling up of financing. The Parties agreed to set, prior to their 2025 meeting, a new collective quantified goal for mobilizing financial resources of not less than $100 billion annually to assist developing country Parties.\nU.S. executive branch officials have stated that the PA is not a treaty requiring Senate advice and consent to ratification. Whether becoming a Party to the PA would require Senate advice and consent depends on the content of the agreement. If the PA were to contain new legal obligations on the United States or require authorizations to implement it, these factors would favor requiring Senate consent to the President\u2019s ratification of it. However, many authorities have opined that the PA does not meet these thresholds for the United States. \nBeyond the Senate\u2019s role in giving advice and consent to a treaty, Congress continues to exercise its powers through authorizations and appropriations for related federal actions. Additionally, numerous issues may attract congressional oversight, such as international rules to be developed to carry out the PA, guidance to Parties, use of funds, and assessment of the effectiveness of other Parties\u2019 efforts.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44609", "sha1": "568b7a25af1ec16580920e4e48f78cf6ce21d109", "filename": "files/20160901_R44609_568b7a25af1ec16580920e4e48f78cf6ce21d109.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44609", "sha1": "993dc8aa7a7160da3d03a52f0463e3cbe6785644", "filename": "files/20160901_R44609_993dc8aa7a7160da3d03a52f0463e3cbe6785644.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "American Law", "Appropriations", "Constitutional Questions", "Environmental Policy", "Foreign Affairs" ] }