House of Representatives votes to take action on climate change

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to pass H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act. The bill requires the Trump administration to develop and update a plan for the United States to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

In response to today’s vote, Karen Orenstein, deputy director of economic policy at Friends of the Earth, issued the following statement:

The climate emergency requires that the United States — the world’s largest historical climate polluter and largest economy — robustly engage multilaterally. To that end, we applaud the sentiment of H.R. 9. But it is not enough that the U.S. not withdraw from the global climate stage; our climate commitment under the Paris Agreement is radically out of line with what science, justice and equity demand. The U.S. must re-emerge in the international arena in a manner that recognizes that all people — whether in Mozambique, Mogadishu or Miami — are equally deserving of dignified lives.

The United States must take on its fair share of the total global mitigation effort, and that share is far greater than what is being contemplated in the halls of power. Moreover, the money the U.S. owes to help developing countries adapt to and mitigate climate change is totally missing from the debate. Progressive leadership on climate must be bolder, braver and more just.

Expert contact: Karen Orenstein, (202) 222-0717, [email protected]
Communications contact: Patrick Davis, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]