Sec. 30605. Using climate diplomacy to better serve national security and economic interests
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The President and the Secretary of State shall prioritize climate action and climate diplomacy in United States foreign policy by— ensuring diplomacy, support, and interagency coordination for bilateral and multilateral actions to address the climate crisis; and improving coordination and integration of climate action across all bureaus and United States missions abroad. The Secretary of State shall— prioritize climate action and clean energy within the bureaus and offices under the leadership of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; ensure that such bureaus and offices are coordinating with other bureaus of the Department of State regarding the integration of climate action and climate diplomacy as a cross-cutting imperative across the Department of State; encourage all Under Secretaries of State— to assess how issues related to climate change and United States climate action are integrated into their operations and programs; to coordinate crosscutting actions and diplomatic efforts that relate to climate action; and to make available the technical assistance and resources of the bureaus and offices with relevant expertise to provide technical assistance and expert support to other bureaus within the Department of State regarding climate action, clean energy development, and climate diplomacy; manage the integration of scientific data on the current and anticipated effects of climate change into applied strategies and diplomatic engagements across programmatic and regional bureaus of the Department of State and into the Department of State’s decision making processes; ensure that the relevant bureaus and offices provide appropriate technical support and resources— to the President, the Secretary of State, and their respective designees charged with addressing climate change and associated issues; to United States diplomats advancing United States foreign policy related to climate action; and for the appropriate engagement and integration of relevant domestic agencies in international climate change affairs, including United States participation in multilateral fora; and carry out other activities, as directed by the Secretary of State, that advance United States climate-related foreign policy objectives, including global greenhouse gas mitigation, climate change adaptation activities, and global climate security.
The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs shall ensure that all foreign missions are— advancing United States bilateral climate diplomacy; engaging strategically on opportunities for bilateral climate action cooperation with foreign governments; and utilizing the technical resources and coordinating adequately with the bureaus reporting to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment. Not later than 200 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, in cooperation with the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that— assesses how climate action and United States climate diplomacy is integrated across the Bureaus of the Department of State; and includes recommendations on strategies to improve cross bureau coordination and understanding of United States climate action and climate diplomacy.
If the positions of Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment and the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs are eliminated or undergo name changes, the responsibilities of such Under Secretaries under this section shall be reassigned to other Under Secretaries of State, as appropriate. The Secretary of State shall establish and staff Climate Change Officer positions. Such Officers shall serve under the supervision of the appropriate chief of mission or the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment of the Department of State, as the case may be.
The Secretary shall ensure each embassy, consulate, and diplomatic mission to which such Officers are assigned pursuant to paragraph
(2)has sufficient additional and appropriate staff to support such Officers. Climate Change Officers shall be assigned to the following posts: United States embassies, or, if appropriate, consulates. United States diplomatic missions to, or liaisons with, regional and multilateral organizations, including the United States diplomatic missions to the European Union, African Union, Organization of American States, Arctic Council, and any other appropriate regional organization, and the United Nations and its relevant specialized agencies. Other posts as designated by the Secretary. Each Climate Change Officer shall— provide expertise on effective approaches to— mitigate the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change and formulate national and global plans for reducing such gross and net emissions; and reduce the detrimental impacts attributable to global climate change, and adapt to such impacts; engage and convene, in a manner that is equitable, inclusive, and just, with individuals and organizations which represent a government office, a nongovernmental organization, a social or political movement, a private sector entity, an educational or scientific institution, or any other entity concerned with— global climate change; the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change; or reducing the detrimental impacts attributable to global climate change; facilitate engagement by United States entities in bilateral and multilateral cooperation on climate change; and carry out such other responsibilities as the Secretary may assign. The Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment of the Department of State shall, including by acting through the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the Department of State— provide policy guidance to Climate Change Officers established under this subsection; develop relations with, consult with, and provide assistance to relevant individuals and organizations concerned with studying, mitigating, and adapting to global climate change, or reducing the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change; and assist officers and employees of regional bureaus of the Department of State to develop strategies and programs to promote studying, mitigating, and adapting to global climate change, or reducing the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change. Each chief of mission in a foreign country shall— develop, as part of annual joint strategic plans or equivalent program and policy planning, a strategy to promote actions to improve and increase studying, mitigating, and adapting to global climate change, or reducing the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change by— consulting and coordinating with and providing support to relevant individuals and organizations, including experts and other professionals and stakeholders on issues related to climate change; and holding periodic meetings with such relevant individuals and organizations relating to such strategy; and hold ongoing discussions with the officials and leaders of such country regarding progress to improve and increase studying, mitigating, and adapting to global climate change, or reducing the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change in a manner that is equitable, inclusive, and just in such country; and certify annually to the Secretary of State that to the maximum extent practicable, considerations related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainability, and the environment were incorporated in activities, management, and operations of the United States embassy or other diplomatic post under the director of the chief of mission. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish curriculum at the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute that supplements political and economic reporting tradecraft courses in order to provide employees of the Department with specialized training with respect to studying, mitigating, and adapting to global climate change, or reducing the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change. Such training shall include the following: Awareness of the full range of national and subnational agencies, offices, personnel, statutory authorities, funds, and programs involved in the international commitments of the United States regarding global climate change and the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change, the science of global climate change, and methods for mitigating and adapting to global climate change. Awareness of methods for mitigating and adapting to global climate change and reducing the emission of gases which contribute to global climate change that are equitable, inclusive, and just. Familiarity with United States agencies, multilateral agencies, international financial institutions, and the network of donors providing assistance to mitigate and adapt to global climate change. Awareness of the most frequently announced goals and methods of the entities specified in subsection (f)(3)(B). Contracting and agreements officers of the Department of State, and other United States embassy personnel responsible for contracts, grants, or acquisitions, shall receive training on evaluating proposals, solicitations, and bids, for considerations related to sustainability and adapting to or mitigating impacts from climate change. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes a detailed breakdown of posts at which staff are assigned the role of Climate Change Officer, the responsibilities to which they have been assigned, and the strategies developed by the chief of mission, as applicable. The Secretary of State shall facilitate the coordination among the Department of State and other relevant Federal departments and agencies toward contributing technical cooperation, engagement, development finance, or foreign assistance relevant to United States international climate action and in support of United States climate diplomacy. It is the sense of Congress that climate diplomacy tools as described in this section are critical for demonstrating the commitment to include climate changes issues as core tenets of foreign policy priorities, as well as preserving the United States’ role as a global leader on climate change action.