HARTFORD – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement after Mexican officials announced a landmark commitment to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 22 percent by the year 2030. Mexico’s commitment was announced ahead of the December 2015 summit in Paris to assemble a global agreement limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

Last Congress, Murphy, along with U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), introduced the Super Pollutants Act – legislation that aims to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), which are non-carbon dioxide greenhouse pollutants that cause 40 percent of global warming. The Super Pollutants Act will help reduce SLCPs in the atmosphere by taking a number of steps to enable federal agencies to work with the business and non-profit communities to speed the adoption of SLCP-reducing technologies and policies, all while supporting American-led innovations.

"I'm thrilled to see Mexico make such a bold commitment ahead of the Paris summit, and particularly encouraged by their pledges on refrigerants and black carbon -- two potent ‘super pollutants’ that warm the climate much more rapidly than carbon dioxide. Mexico's announcement today reaffirms the basic reality that confronting climate change is the responsibility of both the developed and developing world."