WASHINGTON (March 31, 2015) -- Today the United States released its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) for the international climate summit that will occur in Paris at the end of this year. The U.S. target is a 26-28 percent reduction in carbon pollution below 2005 levels by 2025, as President Obama announced in China in November. The United States joins the European Union, Norway, Switzerland and Mexico as the first countries to announce their intended contributions.

Senator Edward J. Markey (Mass.) released the following statement about the announcement:

“When America makes a plan, America leads the world. This climate negotiation gameplan will ensure that U.S. leadership will be a crucial element in solving the challenge of global warming.

“By putting forward this ambitious and achievable target, the United States will encourage other countries to step forward with their contributions to combat climate change. The already announced contributions from other countries offer a good start to the task of finalizing an agreement in Paris that includes all countries in the world doing their fair share to support a global solution to global warming.

“Opponents of actions to address climate change domestically have often pointed to other countries as an excuse to do nothing. Yet America has always been a ‘can do’ country, and by showing what we can do early this year, other countries will join us. Those that would seek to stop the President Obama's action plan are sending a ‘can't do’ message to the rest of the world and undermining the actions by other countries they have been looking for.”

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