Oxfam America Statement on New House of Representatives Climate Legislation

Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser made the following statement in reaction to yesterday's release of new draft climate change legislation by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell and Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher:

"We welcome the important work that Chairmen Dingell and Boucher have put into their discussion draft for comprehensive global warming legislation. We now encourage the Energy and Commerce Committee to act in the coming year to advance legislation that will help poor communities prepare for and adapt to adverse climate impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically and fairly.

"We are pleased that one of the options in the draft recognizes the central importance of the international climate negotiations and the need to provide assistance to developing countries already being hit hard by climate impacts. While least responsible for causing climate change, poor people around the world bear the brunt of its impacts and we look forward to working with the Energy and Commerce Committee to include and strengthen provisions addressing these critical international concerns.

"It is also encouraging that the draft includes support for developing countries to use renewable energy and protect ecosystems in ways that can help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change.

"While the draft includes provisions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we are concerned that the reductions will not be large enough or come fast enough to meet what scientific experts agree are levels of reductions necessary to curb the increasingly damaging consequences of global warming.

"We look forward to working with Chairmen and other Members of the Committee to improve this element of the legislation as well as to strengthen provisions to prevent harm to the poor both in the United States and in developing countries."