Biden, Lugar Call for US Leadership on Climate Change

A new resolution on climate change was passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last Tuesday, May 23rd. The bipartisan resolution (S.Res.312), sponsored by Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Richard Lugar (R-ID), calls for new American leadership on the climate change issue, and stresses that “the United States has the capability to lead the effort to stop global climate change.”

The Biden-Lugar resolution calls for the United States to actively engage the global community and to find an international agreement on global warming. This marks a significant departure from the Senate’s previous position, which was to strictly limit U.S. involvement in any international climate change treaty. The resolution calls for negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with a bipartisan Senate observer group to provide oversight. It further calls on all major carbon gas emitting nations, the United States included, to reduce their long-term emissions.

“With the United States on the sidelines and with the growing emissions of emerging economies soon to overtake our own, international action against global warming is at an impasse,” Biden said. “We need to rethink the path forward to make room for the very different histories and circumstances that countries bring to these talks. That will require flexibility and openness on all sides. This resolution says it is time to take action.

“Without US leadership and participation, there is no way to stabilize global greenhouse gases before irreparable harm is done.”

Citizens for Global Solutions applauds this new resolution, and agrees that the United States can be a leader in the fight against global warming. Climate change is a problem that cannot be solved by any single state acting alone; a resolution will require international cooperation and global engagement from all countries working together- the United States included. We are encouraged by this new show of commitment to global engagement and emissions reductions. We congratulate Senators Biden and Lugar for sponsoring the resolution, and urge other senators to co-sponsor it as well.

+ READ THE RESOLUTION