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90_HJ0048
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1 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The United States is a signatory to the 1992
3 United Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate Change
4 ("FCCC"); and
5 WHEREAS, A protocol to expand the scope of the FCCC was
6 negotiated in December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan ("Kyoto
7 Protocol"), requiring the United States to reduce emissions
8 of greenhouse gases by 7% from 1990 levels during the period
9 2008 to 2012, with potentially larger emission reductions
10 thereafter; and
11 WHEREAS, The Kyoto Protocol would require other major
12 industrial nations to reduce emissions from 1990 levels by 6%
13 to 8% during the period 2008 to 2012, with potentially larger
14 emission reductions thereafter; and
15 WHEREAS, President William J. Clinton pledged on October
16 22, 1997, that "The United States will not assume binding
17 obligations (in Kyoto) unless key developing nations
18 meaningfully participate in this effort"; and
19 WHEREAS, On July 25, 1997, the United States Senate
20 adopted Senate Resolution No. 98 by a vote of 95-0,
21 expressing the sense of the Senate that, inter alia, "the
22 United States should not be a signatory to any protocol to or
23 other agreement regarding the Framework Convention on Climate
24 Change... which would require the advice and consent of the
25 Senate to ratification, and which would mandate new
26 commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for the
27 Developed Country Parties, unless the protocol or other
28 agreement also mandates specific scheduled commitments within
29 the same compliance period to mitigate greenhouse gas
30 emissions for Developing Country Parties"; and
31 WHEREAS, Developing nations are exempt from greenhouse
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1 gas emission limitation requirements in the FCCC, and refused
2 in the Kyoto negotiations to accept any new commitments for
3 greenhouse gas emission limitations through the Kyoto
4 Protocol or other agreements; and
5 WHEREAS, The United States relies on carbon-based fossil
6 fuels for more than 90% of its total energy supply; and
7 WHEREAS, Achieving the emission reductions proposed by
8 the Kyoto Protocol would require more than 35% reduction in
9 projected United states carbon dioxide emissions during the
10 period 2008 to 2012; and
11 WHEREAS, Developing countries exempt from emission
12 limitations under the Kyoto Protocol are expected to increase
13 their rates of fossil fuel use over the next 2 decades, and
14 to surpass the United States and other industrialized
15 countries in total emissions of greenhouse gases; and
16 WHEREAS, Economic impact studies by the U.S. Government
17 estimate that legally binding requirements for the reduction
18 of U.S. greenhouse gases to 1990 emission levels would result
19 in the loss of more than 900,000 jobs in the United States,
20 sharply increased energy prices, reduced family incomes and
21 wages, and severe losses of output in energy-intensive
22 industries such as aluminum, steel, rubber, chemicals, and
23 utilities; and
24 WHEREAS, The failure to provide for commitments by
25 developing countries in the Kyoto Protocol creates an unfair
26 competitive imbalance between industrial and developing
27 nations, potentially leading to the transfer of jobs and
28 industrial development form the United States to developing
29 countries; and
30 WHEREAS, Increased emissions of greenhouse gases by
31 developing countries would offset any environmental benefits
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1 associated with emissions reductions achieved by the United
2 States and by other industrial nations; therefore, be it
3 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, That the House and the Senate call
6 upon the President of the United States not to sign the Kyoto
7 Protocol nor to submit the Kyoto Protocol to the United
8 States Senate unless the protocol is amended or otherwise
9 revised consistent with United States Senate Resolution No.
10 98 to include specific scheduled commitments for developing
11 countries to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions within the
12 same compliance period as required for developed countries;
13 and be it further
14 RESOLVED, That the House and the Senate call upon the
15 United States Senate to reject any proposed protocol or other
16 amendment to the FCCC that is inconsistent with this
17 Resolution or that does not comply fully with United States
18 Senate Resolution No. 98; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
20 delivered to the President of the United States and to the
21 President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.