To express the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the United States to address global climate change through comprehensive and cost-effective national measures and through the negotiation of fair and binding international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

SA 844. Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Biden, Mrs. Feinstein, and Ms.
Snowe) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the
bill H.R. 6, to ensure jobs for our future with secure, affordable, and
reliable energy; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
On page 768, after line 20, add the following:

TITLE XV--CLIMATE CHANGE

SEC. 1501. SENSE OF SENATE REGARDING THE NEED FOR THE UNITED
STATES TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE.

(a) Findings.--The Senate finds that--
(1) there is a scientific consensus, as established by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and confirmed by
the National Academy of Sciences, that the continued buildup
of anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threatens
the stability of the global climate;
(2) there are significant long-term risks to the economy,
the environment, and the security of the United States from
the temperature increases and climatic disruptions that are
projected to result from increased greenhouse gas
concentrations;
(3) the United States, as the largest economy in the world,
is currently the largest greenhouse gas emitter;
(4) the greenhouse gas emissions of the United States are
projected to continue to rise;
(5) the greenhouse gas emissions of developing countries
are rising more rapidly than the emissions of the United
States and will soon surpass the greenhouse gas emissions of
the United States and other developed countries;
(6) reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the levels
necessary to avoid serious climatic disruption requires the
introduction of new energy technologies and other practices,
the use of which results in low or no emissions of greenhouse
gases or in the capture and storage of greenhouse gases;
(7) the development and sale of such technologies in the
United States and internationally presents significant
economic opportunities for workers and businesses in the
United States;
(8) such technologies can enhance energy security by
reducing reliance on imported oil, diversifying energy
sources, and reducing the vulnerability of energy delivery
infrastructure;
(9) other industrialized countries are undertaking measures
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which provide industries
in those countries with a competitive advantage in the
growing global market for such technologies;
(10) efforts to limit emissions growth in developing
countries in a manner that is consistent with the development
needs of the developing countries could establish significant
markets for such technologies and contribute to international
efforts to address climate change;
(11) the United States is a party to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted in May 1992,
and entered into force in 1994 (referred to in this section
as the ``Convention'');
(12) the Convention sets a long-term objective of
stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climate system;
(13) the Convention establishes that parties bear common
but differentiated responsibilities for efforts to achieve
the objective of stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentrations;
(14) the Kyoto Protocol was entered into force on February
16, 2005, but the United States is not, nor is likely to be,
a party to the Protocol;
(15) the parties to the Kyoto Protocol will begin
discussion in 2005 about possible future agreements;
(16) an effective global effort to address climate change
must provide for commitments and action by all countries that
are major emitters of greenhouse gases, whether developed or
developing, and the widely varying circumstances among the
developed and developing countries may require that such
commitments and action vary; and
(17) the United States has the capability to lead the
effort against global climate change.
(b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate
that the United States should act to reduce the health,
environmental, and economic risks posed by global climate
change and foster sustained economic growth through a new
generation of technologies by--
(1) participating in international negotiations under the
Convention with the objective of securing United States
participation in fair and binding agreements that--
(A) advance and protect the economic interests of the
United States;
(B) establish mitigation commitments by all countries that
are major emitters of greenhouse gases, consistent with the
principle of common but differentiated responsibilities;
(C) establish flexible international mechanisms to minimize
the cost of efforts by participating countries; and
(D) achieve a significant long-term reduction in global
greenhouse gas emissions;
(2) enacting and implementing effective and comprehensive
national policies to achieve significant long-term reductions
in greenhouse gas emissions in the United States; and
(3) establishing a bipartisan Senate observer group, the
members of which shall be designated by the majority leader
and minority leader of the Senate, to--
(A) monitor any international negotiations on climate
change; and
(B) ensure that the advice and consent function of the
Senate is exercised in a manner to facilitate timely
consideration of any future applicable treaty submitted to
the Senate.
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