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90_HJ0036
LRB9007414DPcw
1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The United States is a signatory to the 1992 Rio
3 Framework Convention on Global Climate Change ("Convention")
4 and is currently participating in international negotiations,
5 pursuant to a United Nations agreement reached in Berlin in
6 1995 ("Berlin Mandate"), to expand the scope of the
7 Convention; and
8 WHEREAS, The Berlin Mandate requires the United States,
9 Western Europe, Japan, and other advanced industrial nations
10 ("Developed Country Parties") to negotiate legally binding
11 quantified emission limitation and reduction objectives for
12 greenhouse gases for the post-2000 period, while not
13 increasing the commitments of developing countries such as
14 China, India, and Mexico ("Developing Country Parties"); and
15 WHEREAS, The United States and other Developed Country
16 Parties are pursuing policies aimed at reducing emissions of
17 greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000 pursuant to
18 the terms of the Convention; and
19 WHEREAS, Emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon
20 dioxide are caused primarily by the combustion of oil, coal,
21 and natural gas fuels by industries, automobiles, and other
22 human uses of energy; and
23 WHEREAS, The United States relies on carbon-based fossil
24 fuels for more than 90% of its total energy supply; and
25 WHEREAS, Developing Country Parties exempt from the
26 Berlin Mandate are expected to increase their rates of
27 economic growth and fossil fuel use over the next 2 decades
28 and to surpass the United States and other Developed Country
29 Parties in total emissions of greenhouse gases; and
30 WHEREAS, 1997 studies prepared by the United States
31 Government estimate that legally binding requirements for the
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1 stabilization of greenhouse gases at 1990 levels would result
2 in the loss of 900,000 jobs in the United States, sharply
3 increased energy prices, reduced family incomes and wages,
4 and severe losses of output in energy-intensive industries;
5 and
6 WHEREAS, The exemption in the Berlin Mandate for new
7 commitments by Developing Country Parties creates an unfair
8 competitive imbalance between industrial and developing
9 nations, potentially leading to the transfer of jobs and
10 industrial development from Developed Country Parties to
11 Developing Country Parties; and
12 WHEREAS, Increased emissions of greenhouse gases by
13 Developing Country Parties would offset any environmental
14 benefits associated with emissions reductions achieved by the
15 United States and other Developed Country Parties; and
16 WHEREAS, On July 25, 1997, the United States Senate
17 adopted Senate Resolution No. 98 by a vote of 95-0,
18 expressing the Sense of the Senate that "the United States
19 should not be a signatory to any protocol to or other
20 agreement regarding, the Framework Convention on Climate
21 Change ... which would require the advice and consent of the
22 Senate to ratification, and which would mandate new
23 commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for the
24 Developed Country Parties, unless the protocol or other
25 agreement also mandates specific scheduled commitments within
26 the same compliance period to mitigate greenhouse gas
27 emissions for Developing Country Parties"; and
28 WHEREAS, Senate Resolution No. 98 further states that
29 "the Senate strongly believes that the proposals under
30 negotiation, because of the disparity of treatment between
31 Developed and Developing Countries, and the level of required
32 emission reductions, could result in serious harm to the
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1 United States economy, including significant job loss, trade
2 disadvantages, increased energy and consumer costs, and tax
3 increases"; therefore, be it
4 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
5 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
6 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the General Assembly urges the
7 President of the United States to avoid entering into any new
8 climate treaty commitments pursuant to the Berlin Mandate
9 that would lead to the loss of jobs, income, or economic
10 development in the United States, or to increases in the
11 price of energy to consumers, without corresponding
12 commitments by Developing Country Parties as called for by
13 Senate Resolution No. 98; and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly calls upon the United
15 States Senate to reject any proposed protocol or other
16 amendment to the Convention that is inconsistent with this
17 resolution or that does not comply fully with Senate
18 Resolution No. 98; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
20 forwarded to the President of the United States and to the
21 President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate.