Representative Mike Levin Statement On the Fifth Anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA) released the following statement marking the fifth anniversary of the historic Paris Climate Agreement:
“On the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, this accord stands as a powerful contract between nearly 200 nations to collectively combat the existential threat of climate change. Despite the Trump Administration’s reckless effort to pull the United States out of this historic agreement, the American people and our allies around the world remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting our planet for future generations.
“Last year, I had the opportunity to join my colleagues at the COP25 in Madrid, where we reaffirmed to the United Nations that ‘we are still in it.’ Despite the void in leadership from the White House, Congressional Democrats and the nations of the world recommitted to drastically reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and preventing the most disastrous consequences of climate change. In the 116th Congress, we forged on with more than 100 hearings on the climate crisis, passing the Climate Action Now Act to stay in the Paris Agreement and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. I was proud to serve on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and introduce legislation to transition America to zero-emission vehicles, expand electric vehicle infrastructure, and promote renewable energy development on public lands.
“While the Trump Administration denied the reality of climate change, a new era of climate action is on the horizon with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Under a Biden-Harris Administration, we will formally re-enter the Paris Climate Agreement, embrace the scientific consensus that climate change is real, uphold our commitment to advancing robust solutions, and fulfill our responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Once again, we will have climate experts across the Administration who will restore American leadership on the climate crisis.
“This year, we saw catastrophic wildfires rage across my home state of California and record breaking hurricanes batter the country. Americans know that climate change is a grave threat to our health, economy, and national security, and we must act in a way that meets the scale of this crisis. With the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration, passionate climate activists, and robust legislation like the Climate Action Now Act, we will protect the planet we all call home.”
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