ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

URGE THE ULTIMATE CONCERNS BE CONSIDERED IN THE GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE TREATY ORGANIZATION

WHEREAS, the Global Climate Change Treaty as signed by many nations is proceeding; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Senate, July 1997, unanimously adopted S. Res. 98, which expresses the sense of the Senate regarding the conditions for the United States becoming a signatory to any international agreement on greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. S. Res. 98 states that the U.S. should not be a signatory to an agreement that would:

• Require developed countries to limit or reduce greenhouse emissions without imposing equivalent specific scheduled commitments for developing countries to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions within the same compliance period; or
• Result in serious harm to the economy of the United States, and
• Require that any such protocol should be accompanied by a detailed explanation of any legislation or regulatory actions that may be required to implement the protocol or other agreement, and

WHEREAS, local government support efforts for a clean environment consistent with the ability to pay; and

WHEREAS, the burden of implementing any international treaty will fall heavily on cities and counties and, therefore, it is important that local government should have a seat at the table in consideration of these issues; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors, the President and Secretary of State are urged to adhere to the conditions set forth in S. Res. 98 and to include local government representation in delegations negotiating Global Climate Change Treaty at the 1998 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in other meetings where decisions could be made that have direct financial impact on local governments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the President and Secretary of State; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the membership of the U.S. House Committee on International Relations and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.