AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s leading energy and environment experts are available to discuss President Barack Obama, along with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent “ratification” of the Paris Climate Agreement this past weekend at the 11th annual G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China. Experts include the Foundation’s Distinguished Senior Fellow-in-Residence & Director of the Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment, Kathleen Hartnett White, and Director of the Fueling Freedom Project, the Honorable Doug Domenech.
“In spite of what the Administration otherwise insists, the agreement the President signed is not a treaty, and as such does not obligate the U.S. government to any actions,” said Domenech. “This action does not obligate the United States to contribute to the Green Climate Fund or to meet any greenhouse gas emission goals. A treaty requires the approval of the United States Senate and this agreement was never submitted for approval.”
On December 12, 2015, the COP21 agreement was negotiated by 195 countries at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris and adopted by a consensus.
To schedule an interview with Ms. White or Mr. Domenech, please contact Elizabeth Lincicome at [email protected] or 919-744-8087.
Kathleen Hartnett White is Distinguished Senior Fellow-in-Residence & Director of the Armstrong Center for Energy & the Environment. Prior to joining the Foundation, White served a six-year term as Chairman and Commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). With regulatory jurisdiction over air quality, water quality, water rights & utilities, storage and disposal of waste, TCEQ’s staff of 3,000, annual budget of over $600 million, and 16 regional offices make it the second largest environmental regulatory agency in the world after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.The Honorable Doug Domenech is the Director of the Fueling Freedom Project. Prior to joining TPPF he served as secretary of natural resources in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As a member of the governor’s Cabinet he oversaw six state environmental, natural and historic resource agencies with a combined budget of $480 million and staff of over 2,000. He also served as a member of the governor’s energy policy team. From 2001 to 2009 Doug served in several positions at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, DC including White House liaison and deputy chief of staff to two secretaries of the interior.The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin, Texas.Find us on FacebookFollow us on Twitter |