Bill Text: HI SCR70 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging The State To Abide By The Standards Adopted In The Paris Agreement On Climate Change.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-03-15 - Referred to AEN/GVO/TRE, WAM. [SCR70 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2017-SCR70-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	70
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

urging the state to abide by the standards adopted in the paris agreement on climate change.

 

 

     WHEREAS, more than ninety percent of the world's scientists agree that global warming is occurring as a result of human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels; and

 

     WHEREAS, scientists predict that if left unchecked, global warming will cause a sea level rise of one to six feet or greater by the end of this century; and

 

     WHEREAS, a sea level rise of one to six feet will cause billions of dollars' worth of property damage in the Hawaiian Islands and have profoundly adverse effects on the tourism industry and Hawaii's way of life; and

 

     WHEREAS, scientists also predict that if left unchecked, global warming will cause increases in the size and frequency of hurricanes, thereby endangering the lives and property of the people of Hawaii; and

 

     WHEREAS, the International Paris Agreement (Paris Agreement) entered into force on November 4, 2016, and has the central aim of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change by holding the increase in the global average temperature this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and at the same time pursuing efforts to even further limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Paris Agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to address the impacts of climate change and to reach these ambitious goals through appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework, and an enhanced capacity building framework, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives; and

 

     WHEREAS, one hundred ninety-seven countries, including the United States, are currently parties to the Paris Agreement; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Paris Agreement recognizes the role of non-party stakeholders in addressing climate change, including regions, cities, other subnational authorities, civil society, the private sector, and others who are all invited to scale up their efforts and support actions to reduce emissions, build resilience, and decrease vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii enacted Act 97, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, the most aggressive clean energy bill in the United States, calling for Hawaii to become completely energy self-sustaining by using one hundred percent renewable sources by 2045; and

 

     WHEREAS, in addition to reducing Hawaii's carbon emissions and Hawaii's contribution to global warming, Act 97 (2015) will have the practical benefit of making Hawaii's electricity considerably cheaper, saving consumers and businesses an estimated $4,000,000,000 a year, which is currently sent out of the State to pay for fossil fuels; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii wishes to be an example to other states of how they, as individual states, can make contributions to reduce global warming; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2017, the House of Representatives concurring, that this body urges the State to abide by the standards set forth in the Paris Agreement and to reduce Hawaii's carbon emissions by the same or greater percentage as sought by the United States under the Paris Agreement; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body urges the State to abide by all other conditions of the Paris Agreement, insofar as it is able as a non-party stakeholder, including the requirement to report regularly on emissions and implementation efforts; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations; President of the United States; White House Secretary, who is requested to distribute a copy to each national news organization represented in the White House Press Corps; Secretary of the United States Senate and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, who are requested to distribute a copy to each member of the United States Congress; Governor of each state; and the heads of each state legislature.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Paris Agreement