Bill Text: NJ SCR124 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Condemns President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. from Paris Climate Accord.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-03-17 - Reported from Senate Committee, 2nd Reading [SCR124 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-SCR124-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 124
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 3, 2025
Sponsored by:
Senator JOHN F. MCKEON
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
Senator BOB SMITH
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Condemns President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. from Paris Climate Accord.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
A Concurrent Resolution condemning President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord.
Whereas, The Paris Climate Accord, signed in 2016 by 195 countries, sets forth a five-year goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels and aims to limit the increase in average global temperature to 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels; and
Whereas, The signatories to the agreement also pledge to undertake rapid reductions in greenhouse gases thereafter in accordance with best available science; and
Whereas, In 2018, the Legislature and the Governor enacted P.L.2018, c.3 (C.26:2C-58), which required New Jersey to join the Paris Climate Accord; and
Whereas, New Jersey was joined by 23 other states, known as the United States Climate Alliance, which now represents approximately 55 percent of the population and 60 percent of the economic output of the United States; and
Whereas, On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order, entitled "Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements," requiring the United States to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord; and
Whereas, This Executive Order will lead to greater loss of life, and greater economic and environmental damages, due to the worsened effects of climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions from the United States; and
Whereas, The Executive Order is contrary to New Jersey State law, and the laws of the other states in the United States Climate Alliance, and is contrary to the wishes of the majority of Americans, who report that they view climate change as a major threat; and
Whereas, The Executive Order also weakens the United States' position as a leader in renewable energy and energy storage technology, aiding our economic rivals abroad; and
Whereas, The Executive Order also degrades the United States' diplomatic status, showing our allies and enemies alike that our word is not our bond; and
Whereas, Given the devastating effects of rising global temperatures, it is critical that the United States remain in the Paris Climate Accord in order to globally reduce carbon emissions, slow rising global temperatures, and help countries deal with the effects of climate change; and
Whereas, It is therefore the duty of the Legislature to condemn the President's decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord and to urge him to rejoin it; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey (the General Assembly concurring):
1. The Legislature condemns President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, and urges him to rejoin it.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice-President of the United States, and to every member of Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution condemns President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, and urges him to rejoin it.
