Testimony Before the Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming

This testimony by Rob Bradley of the World Resources Institute (WRI) argues that the United States is well-positioned to resume international leadership on climate change. Bradley asserts that the global landscape has shifted since the Kyoto Protocol, with major developing nations now presenting their own climate plans. He advocates for a new agreement based on the Bali Action Plan, which emphasizes "measurable, reportable and verifiable" (MRV) actions from both developed and developing countries to ensure mutual accountability and trust.

• Current climate science indicates that global warming is primarily caused by human activities, specifically the use of fossil fuels and deforestation. The IPCC's 2007 report concluded it is "unequivocal" that the Earth is warming and "very likely" that human-driven greenhouse gas emissions caused most of the temperature increase since the mid-20th century.
• Observed climate impacts are occurring faster than previous models predicted. Evidence includes record low Arctic sea ice levels (4.13 million km2 in June-September 2007) and a mountain pine beetle outbreak in British Columbia that impacted 13 million hectares by 2007, with projections that 78% of pine volume could be killed by 2015.
• Major developing countries have shifted their approach and are now implementing national climate plans. Examples include Brazil's goal to reduce deforestation by over 50% by 2017, China's target to reduce national energy intensity by 20% by 2010, South Africa's plan to peak emissions by 2020, and Mexico's pledge to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
• The Bali Action Plan (BAP) provides a framework for a post-2012 agreement that differs from the Kyoto Protocol by requiring mitigation actions from both developed and developing countries. A central requirement of the BAP is that these actions be "measurable, reportable and verifiable" (MRV) to build international trust.
• Developing country commitments will likely focus on reducing the rate of emissions growth rather than absolute cuts, due to lower per-capita emissions and development needs. For example, the average Indian produces just over one twentieth of the emissions of the average American, and 550 million Indians lack electricity access.
• There is a significant gap between the financial expectations of developing countries and current U.S. offers. The G77 and China have proposed that Annex I countries commit 0.5-1% of their GDP to mitigation and adaptation, while existing financial flows are deemed inadequate relative to the challenge.

APA

Bradley, R. (2009). Testimony Before the Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-select-committee-energy-independence-and-global-warming

Chicago

Bradley, Rob. Testimony Before the Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming. World Resources Institute, 2009. https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-select-committee-energy-independence-and-global-warming.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Bradley |first1=Rob |title=Testimony Before the Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=4 February 2009 |url=https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-select-committee-energy-independence-and-global-warming |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{bradley2009testimony, author = {Bradley, Rob}, title = {{Testimony Before the Select Committee On Energy Independence and Global Warming}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2009}, month = feb, url = {https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-select-committee-energy-independence-and-global-warming}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }