Udall Participates in UN Conference on Climate Change ('COP21')

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall is participating in a two-day congressional delegation to the United Nations conference on climate change in Paris. Udall, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee, will meet with U.S. and international negotiators and others gathered for the 21st annual Conference of the Parties (COP21) on the U.N. Convention on Climate Change. Delegates from more than 190 countries are seeking an international agreement to reduce global carbon emissions.

A longtime advocate for action to prevent global warming and its serious consequences for national security and the economy, Udall will discuss his work on the Appropriations and Foreign Relations committees to prevent efforts in Congress to roll back U.S. commitments to reduce the carbon pollution that contributes to global warming. Udall will discuss the global warming impacts the United States is already experiencing -- particularly in New Mexico -- including rising temperatures and increasingly severe drought and wildfires, as well as positive steps the states and the administration are taking to drive the global effort to fight climate change.

"Americans want action to prevent climate change, and New Mexico is a great example of how we're taking that action. New Mexico has every kind of energy resource, and we've embraced efforts to diversify and reduce carbon emissions. We're hitting our renewable energy goals and our efforts are boosting the economy, building new opportunities and creating well-paying clean energy jobs," Udall said. "But we have to keep it up. America's leadership in reducing carbon pollution is crucial - the United States must drive progress across the world. As a member of key Foreign Relations and Appropriations subcommittees, I will be helping lead the charge in Congress to keep the U.S. climate goals on track. We will stop efforts that would turn back progress on global warming."