S*1132 Session 112 (1997-1998)
S*1132 Resolution, By Leventis, Alexander, Courson, Courtney, Fair, Giese,
Hayes, Martin, Setzler, Short, Thomas and Waldrep
Similar(H 4761)
A SENATE RESOLUTION TO MEMORIALIZE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES NOT TO
SIGN THE KYOTO PROTOCOL OR TO SUBMIT THE SAME FOR RATIFICATION TO THE UNITED
STATES SENATE UNLESS THE PROTOCOL IS AMENDED OR OTHERWISE REVISED, CONSISTENT
WITH UNITED STATES SENATE RESOLUTION 98, TO INCLUDE SPECIFIC SCHEDULED
COMMITMENTS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO MITIGATE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
WITHIN THE SAME COMPLIANCE PERIOD OR PERIODS AS REQUIRED FOR DEVELOPED
COUNTRIES, AND TO MEMORIALIZE THE UNITED STATES SENATE TO REJECT ANY PROPOSED
PROTOCOL OR OTHER AMENDMENT TO THE 1992 UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON
GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE (FCCC) THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH UNITED STATES SENATE
RESOLUTION 98 OR THAT DOES NOT COMPLY FULLY WITH THAT RESOLUTION.
03/19/98 Senate Introduced and adopted SJ-4
A SENATE RESOLUTION
TO MEMORIALIZE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
NOT TO SIGN THE KYOTO PROTOCOL OR TO SUBMIT THE
SAME FOR RATIFICATION TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE
UNLESS THE PROTOCOL IS AMENDED OR OTHERWISE
REVISED, CONSISTENT WITH UNITED STATES SENATE
RESOLUTION 98, TO INCLUDE SPECIFIC SCHEDULED
COMMITMENTS FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO
MITIGATE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WITHIN THE
SAME COMPLIANCE PERIOD OR PERIODS AS REQUIRED
FOR DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AND TO MEMORIALIZE THE
UNITED STATES SENATE TO REJECT ANY PROPOSED
PROTOCOL OR OTHER AMENDMENT TO THE 1992 UNITED
NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON GLOBAL
CLIMATE CHANGE (FCCC) THAT IS INCONSISTENT WITH
UNITED STATES SENATE RESOLUTION 98 OR THAT DOES
NOT COMPLY FULLY WITH THAT RESOLUTION.
Whereas, the United States is a signatory to the 1992 United Nations
Framework Convention on Global Climate Change (FCCC); and
Whereas, a proposed protocol to expand the scope of the FCCC was
negotiated in December of 1997 in Kyoto, Japan (Kyoto Protocol),
potentially requiring the United States to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases by seven percent from 1990 levels during the
period 2008 to 2012, with potentially larger emission reductions
thereafter; and
Whereas, the Kyoto Protocol would require other major industrial
nations to reduce emissions from 1990 levels by six percent to eight
percent during the period 2008 to 2012, with potentially larger
emission reductions thereafter; and
Whereas, President Clinton pledged on October 22, 1997 that
"the United States will not assume binding obligations (in
Kyoto) unless key developing nations meaningfully participate in the
effort"; and
Whereas, on July 25, 1997, the United States Senate adopted Senate
Resolution 98 by a vote of 95-0, expressing the sense of the Senate
that "the United States should not be a signatory to any
protocol to or other agreement regarding the Framework Convention
on Climate Change...which would require the advice and consent of
the Senate to ratification, and which would mandate new
commitments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for the
Developed Country Parties, unless the protocol or other agreement
also mandates specific scheduled commitments within the same
compliance period to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions for
Developing Country Parties"; and
Whereas, developing nations are exempt from greenhouse gas
emission limitation requirements in the FCCC and refused in the
Kyoto negotiations to accept any new commitments for greenhouse
gas emission limitations through the Kyoto Protocol; and
Whereas, manmade emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide are caused primarily by the combustion of oil, coal, and
natural gas fuels by industries, automobiles, homes, and other uses of
energy; and
Whereas, the United States relies on carbon-based fossil fuels for
more than ninety percent of its total energy supply; and
Whereas, achieving the emission reductions proposed by the Kyoto
Protocol would require a thirty-eight percent reduction in projected
United States carbon emissions during the period 2008 to 2012; and
Whereas, government and industry in the United States are
implementing numerous energy conservation and efficiency
programs and increasingly stringent air quality improvement
programs but, nevertheless, will have great difficulty meeting the
emission reduction target because of economic and population
growth; and
Whereas, developing countries exempt from emission limitations
under the Kyoto Protocol are expected to increase their rates of fossil
fuel use over the next two decades and to surpass the United States
and other industrialized countries in total emissions of greenhouse
gases; and
Whereas, voluntary carbon dioxide reductions from United States'
industries and voluntary transfer to developing countries of
technologies that will assist them in achieving energy efficiency and
improved air quality are worthy of support; and
Whereas, studies prepared for the Global Climate Coalition indicate
that a carbon tax or permit fee of two hundred dollars per metric ton
would be required to return 2010 emissions to 1990 levels and that
South Carolina would suffer significant economic losses as its
export-oriented industries would be put at significant competitive
disadvantage; real gross state product (GSP) would fall 2.5 percent
below the baseline in 2010; real tax revenues in South Carolina
would fall 1.8 percent below the baseline projection in 2010, an
amount equivalent to 174.8 million dollars in 1992 dollars; South
Carolina could lose 23,800 jobs by 2010, including 9,700
manufacturing jobs, 4,300 jobs in the transportation,
telecommunications, and utility sectors, and 10,800 jobs in the
service sector; industrial firms in South Carolina would be burdened
in the global competition for markets with price increases of
seventy-nine percent for delivered natural gas and sixty-seven percent
for electricity versus baseline levels in 2010; residential electricity
prices could increase by 46.1 percent in South Carolina, and natural
gas prices could be 47.5 percent higher; and
Whereas, the Kyoto Protocol could lead to the transfer to energy
intensive industries from South Carolina to overseas and result in
increased emissions of greenhouse gases by developing nations,
thereby offsetting any environmental benefits associated with
reductions achieved by the United States and other developed
countries. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate:
That the Senate of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution,
memorializes the President of the United States not to sign the Kyoto
Protocol or to submit the same for ratification to the United States
Senate unless the protocol is amended or otherwise revised,
consistent with United States Senate Resolution 98, to include
specific scheduled commitments for developing countries to mitigate
greenhouse gas emissions within the same compliance period or
periods as required for developed countries.
Be it further resolved that the Senate memorializes the United States
Senate to reject any proposed protocol or other amendment to the
1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate
Change (FCCC) that is inconsistent with United States Senate
Resolution 98 or that does not comply fully with that resolution.
Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to
the President of the United States, the President of the United States
Senate, and the eight members of the South Carolina Congressional
Delegation, all at Washington, D.C.
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