Expand All Collapse All Extent 110 folders, approximately 9,672 pages Summary This collection consists of material from the White House Task Force on Climate Change (WHTFCC). It contains reports, publications, memoranda, speeches, talking points, press releases, and emails. Topics covered by the records include global warming, greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide emissions, clean coal, Earth Day 2000, and climate change meetings that took place in Buenos Aires and The Hague. Scope and Content Note The materials in 2017-1094-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. Emerging out of a April 1997 revision to the charter of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD), the Climate Change Task Force was given the principal function of advising President Clinton on possible domestic policy options geared toward a sizable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Their recommendations required keeping with international agreements entered into by the United States. The body would consist of the Council in its entirety, with members from the business community and government, environmental, and civic organizations. Two co-chairs (Jonathan Lash, President, World Resources Institute and Ray C. Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO, Interface, Inc.) would provide guidance and leadership to the Task Force. The position of Executive Director would be held by Martin Spitzer; White House Liaison would fall to the Acting Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), at that time occupied by George Frampton. In the end, 34 people served on the Climate Change Task Force. The Climate Change Task Force made a concentrated effort to focus its energy on four areas of policy development. The first effort was to arrive at an agreed upon core of climate change guidelines. There had to be a response to Climate Change and immediate action was of paramount importance. Incentives were to be utilized to get individuals and local governments involved. Reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases was a top priority. The second area of policy development involved a technology working group and its prospective goals. It proposed to put all the available technologies (current and anticipated) under a microscope, discern which ones would be useful in lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and decide on incentives that might be put into place leading to those so designated being disseminated in the U.S. and abroad. The third area of policy development concerned a working group on economic, regulatory, and voluntary measures. It examined all manner of economic, regulatory, and voluntary actions that would culminate with a noticeable reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases. These steps included: (1) tradeable permits; (2) tax credits/deductions for investing in superior technologies; (3) carbon taxes; (4) partnerships encompassing the investment and insurance communities as well as government and industry; (5) assorted regulatory programs; and (6) voluntary initiatives. The final area of policy development related to a working group on cross-cutting policies. This committee attempted to link ideas and other task forces so that benefits might reach across more than one area. Measures known to lower emissions of greenhouse gases could often be utilized to good effect in other sectors of sustainable development. Climate principles were enumerated in a letter sent to President Clinton from the Climate Change Task Force in November 1997. The co-chairs declared: “This consensus statement about climate change from industry, environmental, citizen and state and local leaders is, as far as we are aware, the first such agreement on climate policy.” These guidelines included rewards for immediate action, commitments on a national and international basis, accountability, flexibility, the encouragement of technology through thought out and reasonable measures, and fairness. All the working groups began meeting in February 1998. Eight months later they transmitted a letter to the President detailing so-called Early Action Principles. In essence, the bulk of their recommendations centered around what could be done right now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The documents in the collection come from the Climate Change Task Force. There are reports, publications, memoranda, graphs, speeches, newspaper articles, emails, talking points, charts, faxes, fax cover sheets, agendas, lists, press releases, fact sheets, and correspondence. Key issues included the economic impact of the implementation of steps to slow down and alleviate the adverse effects of climate change. In the files of John Gibson, there are press releases of speeches by key administration officials about climate change and related subjects. President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, Timothy E. Wirth and Chair, Council of Economic Advisers, Janet Yellen all gave speeches related to climate change. Additional materials in Gibson’s files include fact sheets on the following topics: General Climate Fact Sheet, Fact Sheet on New Climate Science Findings, Fact Sheet on Industry and Climate Change, Fact Sheet on Carbon Sequestration & Agriculture (all April 1999), and Fact Sheet on USDA’s (United States Department of Agriculture’s) Economic Analysis on Climate Change & Agriculture (May 1999). Gibson’s files also include materials from UN Framework Conventions on Climate Change held at Buenos Aires in November 1998 and The Hague in November 2000. Press guidance, testimony, position papers, and highly technical reports can be found in these records. One of the key individuals involved in the proceedings, American Frank E. Loy, Under Secretary for Global Affairs, worked as a member of the Senior Negotiating Team. The files of Roger Ballentine, Paul Bledsoe, and Julie Anderson contain memoranda in which Todd Stern, who during the Clinton administration served as chief White House negotiator at the Kyoto Protocol and Buenos Aires talks (and later was Special Envoy for Climate Change from 2009-2016), described to the chief of staff potential climate change events/announcements that might appeal to President Clinton. Two of the more important reports in these records contain a number of drafts with corrections and edits. “Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change” (September 2000) has chapters entitled “Solar Buildings,” “Industries of the Future,” “Steam Challenge,” “Technology in Housing,” “Biomass Gasification,” “Advanced Turbine Systems,” “Wind Energy Systems,” “Geothermal Technology,” “Biofuels,” “Hydrogen Research,” “Carbon-Free Fuels,” “Photovoltaic Energy Systems R&D,” Bioproducts & Bioenergy,” and “Energy Smart Schools.” There is a second report entitled “United States: Taking Action on Climate Change” (October 1999) detailing wide-ranging initiatives. There are materials related to “Twenty First Century Trucks”. One folder of material concerns an event held in Detroit, Michigan, on April 21, 2000 at which Vice President Gore announced an agreement with major truck manufacturers that would lead to the development of more fuel-efficient heavy trucks and buses. Press releases, drafts of speeches, newspaper articles, an executive order regarding federal workforce transportation, schedules, talking points, and emails all are located within the folder. In addition, charts, graphs, and papers turn up that provide more information about the “21st Century Truck Initiative.” Goals of the program are laid out as are initial agreements. Record Type Textual System of Arrangement Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in this collection area—Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files. Staff and Office files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity. Staff and Office files are processed at the folder level, that is, individual documents are not selected and removed from a folder for processing. While this method maintains folder integrity, it frequently results in the incidental processing of documents not wholly responsive to the subject area. Access Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions. Copyright Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States government as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Researchers are advised to consult the copyright law of the United States (17 U.S.C. Chapter 1) which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Provenance Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act. Processed by Staff Archivist, 2018. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released. Last Modified Date 2018-01-19 Container List The following is a list of folders processed in response to 2017-1094-F: Box 1 Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files White House Task Force on Climate Change Gibson, John Administration Documents on Climate Change [binder 1] [1] [OA/ID 41017] Administration Documents on Climate Change [binder 1] [2] [OA/ID 41017] Administration Documents on Climate Change [binder 1] [3] [OA/ID 41017] Administration Documents on Climate Change [binder 2] [1] [OA/ID 41017] Administration Documents on Climate Change [binder 2] [2] [OA/ID 41017] Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued) White House Task Force on Climate Change Gibson, John Administration Documents on Climate Change [binder 2] [3] [OA/ID 41017] Clinton Administration Climate Change Documents: Final Task Force Releases and Other Useful Papers, October 1997 – August 1999 [binder] [1] [OA/ID 41017] Box 2 Clinton Administration Climate Change Documents: Final Task Force Releases and Other Useful Papers, October 1997 – August 1999 [binder] [2] [OA/ID 41017] UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: 4th Conference of the Parties: Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 2-13, 1998 [binder] [1] [OA/ID 41017] UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: 4th Conference of the Parties: Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 2-13, 1998 [binder 1] [2] [OA/ID 41017] UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: 6th Conference of the Parties: The Hague, November 13-24, 2000 [binder] [1] [OA/ID 41017] UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: 6th Conference of the Parties: The Hague, November 13-24, 2000 [binder] [2] [OA/ID 41017] Ballentine, Roger; Bledsoe, Paul; Anderson, Julie Administration and Its Critics [OA/ID 41300] Agriculture and CJS [Commerce, Justice, State] FY 2000 [OA/ID 41302] Analysis of the Climate Change Technology Initiative: Fiscal Year 2001 – April 2000 [report] [OA/ID 41299] Appropriations – VA [Veterans Affairs], HUD [Housing and Urban Development] [1] [OA/ID 41302] Appropriations – VA [Veterans Affairs], HUD [Housing and Urban Development] [2] [OA/ID 41302] Box 3 Bioenergy [OA/ID 41299] Bioenergy Clips 8/12/99 [OA/ID 41301] Bioenergy Event 8/12/99 [OA/ID 41300] Bioenergy Rollout [OA/ID 41301] Bonn Climate Change Press Lists [OA/ID 41300] BP [British Petroleum] [OA/ID 41300] BP [British Petroleum] Amoco File [OA/ID 41300] Budget [OA/ID 41300] Buenos Aires [OA/ID 41300] [Buenos Aires Press Coverage] [OA/ID 41299] Business Roundtable Press Conference 7/18/99 [OA/ID 41301] BRT [Business Roundtable] Report [OA/ID 41299] China Statement [OA/ID 41301] Clean Coal [1] [OA/ID 41302] Clean Coal [2] [OA/ID 41302] Clean Energy Event [OA/ID 41301] Climate Change: State of Knowledge – October 1997 [report] [OA/ID 41299] Climate Change: U.S. Action and Strategy [OA/ID 41299] Climate Change: The U.S. Position [OA/ID 41299] Box 4 Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued) White House Task Force on Climate Change Ballentine, Roger; Bledsoe, Paul; Anderson, Julie Climate Change Action Plan: President William J. Clinton, Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. – October 1993 [publication] [OA/ID 41299] Climate Riders [OA/ID 41301] COP5 [Conference of the Parties 5] Clips [OA/ID 41300] COP5 [Conference of the Parties 5] Materials [OA/ID 41300] COP5 [Conference of the Parties 5] Statements/Transcripts [OA/ID 41300] COP6 [Conference of the Parties 6] [OA/ID 41301] COP6 [Conference of the Parties 6] Press [OA/ID 41301] CQuest/Agriculture Event [OA/ID 41301] Developing Countries [OA/ID 41300] Earth Day 2000 [1] [OA/ID 41301] Earth Day 2000 [2] [OA/ID 41301] Eastern Michigan University Speech 4/30/00 [OA/ID 41301] Box 5 Energy Speech [OA/ID 41301] Energy and Water FY 2000 [OA/ID 41302] EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] Energy Star – By State(s) [OA/ID 41299] Federal Energy [OA/ID 41299] Fiscal Impact of the Kyoto Protocol on Local Governments in the United States – June 2000 [report] [OA/ID 41299] FY 2001 Budget [OA/ID 41300] FY 2001 Budget Rollout Clips [OA/ID 41300] Foreign Operations FY 2000 [OA/ID 41302] George Will Column/Post Letter Response [OA/ID 41300] Global Climate Coalition [OA/ID 41300] Greening of the White House Report [OA/ID 41301] Herbert/New York Times Letter [OA/ID 41301] Home Credit [OA/ID 41302] Impact of the Kyoto Protocol on America’s Senior Citizens – March 1999 [report] [OA/ID 41299] [Indo-US Business Dialogue on Clean Energy] [OA/ID 41301] Industry Action on Climate Change [OA/ID 41301] Box 6 Interior and Treasury FY 2000 [OA/ID 41302] Knollenberg Riders ’99 [OA/ID 41300] Kyoto/Compliance, Senate/Administration Gridlock [OA/ID 41300] Letters to the Editor [OA/ID 41300] [Loose Materials] [OA/ID 41300] Mailings [OA/ID 41299] Mayors Event: ICLEI [International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives]/ Ozone Action [OA/ID 41301] McCain Hearing [OA/ID 41301] [Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change] [1] [OA/ID 41299] Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued) White House Task Force on Climate Change Ballentine, Roger; Bledsoe, Paul; Anderson, Julie [Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change] [2] [OA/ID 41299] National Assessment on Climate Change [OA/ID 41301] National Assessment of Global Warming Impacts [OA/ID 41301] National Assessment Lawsuit 10/5/00 [OA/ID 41301] NPR [National Public Radio] Climate Change [OA/ID 41301] Box 7 National Research Council Report Clips [OA/ID 41300] New Orleans [OA/ID 41301] Oil/Energy, New Energy Technology [OA/ID 41300] Old Message/Budget Materials [OA/ID 41299] PATH [Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing] [OA/ID 41302] Pew Center – Business Press Conference [OA/ID 41300] Post Special Section/Top Bonn Clips [OA/ID 41300] Powerful Partnerships: The Federal Role in International Cooperation on Energy Innovation – June 1999 [report] [OA/ID 41299] PCAST [President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology] Report, August ’99 [OA/ID 41301] POTUS India Announcement 3/22/00 [empty] [OA/ID 41301] POTUS/VP Climate Remarks [OA/ID 41300] Radio Address [OA/ID 41299] Refusing to Repeat Past Mistakes: How the Kyoto Climate Change Protocol Would Disproportionately Threaten the Economic Well-Being of Blacks and Hispanics in the United States [report] [OA/ID 41299] Religious Groups [OA/ID 41300] Sea-Level Rise and Global Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to US Coasts [report] [2 copies] [OA/ID 41299] SEJ [Society of Environmental Journalists] Conference 9/16 – 9/18 [OA/ID 41300] State of the Union 2000 [OA/ID 41301] Box 8 Super Science [OA/ID 41301] Talking Points [OA/ID 41301] Tally of McIntosh Requests [1] [OA/ID 41302] Tally of McIntosh Requests [2] [OA/ID 41302] Technology in the 21st Century: The Role of Technology in Responding to Concerns About Global Climate Change [OA/ID 41299] Texas’ Global Warming Solutions – A Study for: The World Wildlife Fund [OA/ID 41299] Transportation [OA/ID 41300] 21st Century Trucks [OA/ID 41301] 21st Century Trucks [OA/ID 41299] [US View Draft] [OA/ID 41299] VA [Veterans Affairs], HUD [Housing and Urban Development] FY 2000 [OA/ID 41302] Box 9 Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued) White House Task Force on Climate Change Ballentine, Roger; Bledsoe, Paul; Anderson, Julie VP Gore Speeches – Climate Change [OA/ID 41300] Washington Post Ad Supplement [OA/ID 41299] WHCCTF [White House Climate Change Task Force] Press List [OA/ID 41301] Wind/Biomass [OA/ID 41302]