Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Getting to Yes on Climate Change

Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute, testifies that the United States is currently missing an opportunity to lead a clean energy revolution while other nations, including major emitters like China, India, and Brazil, are already implementing significant climate actions. He argues that U.S. legislation is the essential prerequisite for a successful global agreement, as other countries are reluctant to commit without a clear U.S. pledge. Using China as a primary example, Lash asserts that the shift toward clean energy is driven by local needs—such as energy security and pollution control—rather than global charity, creating a massive market for clean technology that the U.S. risks losing if it does not put a price on carbon and support clean energy development.

• A small number of countries are responsible for the vast majority of global emissions, with many developing nations now taking independent action without waiting for wealthy countries to lead.
• Several developing and developed nations have set specific emissions targets or strategies: Mexico aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; South Africa plans to peak emissions by 2020; Brazil intends to reduce deforestation rates by 70 percent by 2017; Japan proposed a 25 percent reduction below 1990 levels by 2020; and the EU targets a 20 to 30 percent reduction.
• China's climate actions are driven by internal pressures, including the need to maintain economic growth, reduce poverty, and combat pollution and climate-induced flooding, rather than international pressure.
• China has implemented significant mitigation programs, including a 2005 plan to reduce energy intensity by 20 percent by 2010 and a goal to increase renewable energy to 10 percent by 2010.
• The United States faces a significant economic opportunity in the clean technology market, with some estimates suggesting a $500 billion to $1 trillion annual market in China alone.
• U.S. legislative action is the primary bottleneck for a global climate agreement, as other nations are hesitant to finalize commitments without a clear expression of political will from the U.S. Congress.
• Verification of emissions reductions in countries like China is feasible through existing frameworks such as the WTO and the Montreal Protocol, and could be supplemented by U.S. investment in satellite tracking.

APA

Lash, J. (n.d.). Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Getting to Yes on Climate Change. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-senate-committee-environment-and-public-works

Chicago

Lash, Jonathan. Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Getting to Yes on Climate Change. World Resources Institute, n.d. https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-senate-committee-environment-and-public-works.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lash |first1=Jonathan |title=Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Getting to Yes on Climate Change |publisher=World Resources Institute |url=https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-senate-committee-environment-and-public-works |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lashndtestimony, author = {Lash, Jonathan}, title = {{Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Getting to Yes on Climate Change}}, publisher = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/publications/testimony-senate-committee-environment-and-public-works}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }