Shaheen Statement on Historic COP26 Climate Summit

Statement

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement after President Biden's address at the United Nations Climate Change Conference -- COP26 -- in Glasgow, Scotland. The international climate summit is a global convergence of world leaders to address the existential threat of climate change. The conference kicked off yesterday and continues through November 12.

"After four years of U.S. policies based on climate change denial and a shameful abdication of U.S. leadership on the global stage to combat the climate crisis, it is very encouraging to see President Biden take a bold step forward to rebuild our nation's reputation as a world leader on climate. The effects of climate change impact every corner of our society. We see this in our communities that were slammed by super storms that took the lives of our loved ones and neighbors and inflicted heavy damage on our infrastructure. We feel it in the rising temperatures and compromised air quality that put the health of Americans and people around the world in danger. And we hear the calls from our military leaders and defense experts who are warning of the dire consequences on our national security structures if we fail to address this crisis here and now. Our world is already bearing witness to a migration crisis spurred by the shift in our climate, which will only worsen if we fail to address the source of these changes: human behavior. I had the privilege of traveling to Paris ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference that led to the International Paris Climate Accord, so I know these global forums have the ability to generate the meaningful policies and historic partnerships necessary to keep the goals set in Paris within reach," said Shaheen.

Shaheen continued, "I'm glad President Biden brought thoughtful policies to this conference, including historic investments in climate in the Build Back Better framework and bipartisan infrastructure bill that lay the foundation for a clean energy economy and prioritize energy efficiency, which has long been a top issue for me. I also look forward to reviewing his administration's newly released climate strategy, which seeks to get the United States to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a goal I've long fought for. Climate change is not an isolated crisis -- it is borderless and affects us all, which is why it is on all of us within the global community to take responsibility and work together to protect our planet and people. I encourage all participants to work in good faith to safeguard our citizens, environment and world for generations to come."

Senator Shaheen is a leader in the Senate for safeguarding our environment and combating the effects of climate change. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Shaheen traveled to Paris to participate in high-level discussions at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference that led to the international Paris Climate Accord. She introduced the International Climate Accountability Act -- legislation that would have prevented former President Donald Trump from using funds to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord and directed the Trump administration to develop a strategic plan for the U.S. to meet its commitment under the Agreement. Shaheen also introduced widely praised bipartisan legislation with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) to save American homes and businesses billions of dollars in energy costs and dramatically reduce the United States' carbon footprint. Key provisions of this legislation were included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed the Senate in August. Shaheen is a founding member of the bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, which brings together an equal number of Republicans and Democrats to craft and advance bipartisan solutions to address climate change.

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