#9

150 International Affairs:End Funding for the U.N. Intergovernmental 
Panel on Climate Change

Savings in Millions of Dollars
  • 2016
    10
  • 2017
    10
  • 2018
    10
  • 2019
    10
  • 2020
    11
  • 2021
    11
  • 2022
    11
  • 2023
    11
  • 2024
    12
  • 2025
    12
  • 2016-2020
    51
  • 2016-2025
    108

Sources

Savings are expressed as budget authority based on the FY 2014 estimated spending levels as found on page 177 of the “Fiscal Year 2015 Congressional Budget Justification: Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.” This estimated level has been increased at the same rate as discretionary spending in the CBO’s most recent baseline spending projections.

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Technical Notes on Scoring

CBO Baseline

Unless otherwise noted, calculations for savings for each recommendation relies on the most recent Congressional Budget Office baseline, as found in “An Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook: 2014 to 2024,” published August 27, 2014, has been used.

Savings “Totals”

While totals for the five and 10 year savings are provided by section and for the complete set of recommendations, there are two reasons they should not be viewed as representing total savings for The Budget Book.

First, as noted in the introduction, The Heritage Foundation would recommend that the savings realized in the Function 050 Defense section would stay within the Department of Defense to strengthen the nation’s defense capabilities.

Second, the numbers cannot be deemed to represent the realized savings if every single recommendation were adopted because policy changes made in one program can impact spending levels in other programs.  Thus, the numbers in the table do not reflect any potential interactions between the various policy changes affecting spending or savings.

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Heritage Recommendation:

End contributions to the IPCC. This proposal saves $10 million in 2016, and $108 million over 10 years.

Rationale:

Stop funding global warming alarmists at the IPCC & save $108 million!

The IPCC is charged with the “preparation of comprehensive Assessment Reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its causes, potential impacts and response strategies. The IPCC also produces Special Reports, which are an assessment on a specific issue and Methodology Reports, which provide practical guidelines for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories.” ((Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, “Activities: Fifth Assessment Report,” November 2014, (accessed December 15, 2014).))

These studies have been subject to bias, manipulation, and poor data. In recent years, the U.S. House has voted to eliminate funding to the IPCC, but funds have been included in the final appropriations bills enacted into law.

Stop funding global warming alarmists at the IPCC & save $108 million!

Contributing Expert

Brett D. Schaefer is the Jay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs at Heritage's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom.

Schaefer analyzes a range of foreign policy issues, focusing primarily on the United Nations and affiliated funds and programs. He frequently speaks and publishes on issues related to the world body and its activities.

See publications by Brett D. Schaefer

Brett D. SchaeferJay Kingham Fellow in International Regulatory Affairs at Heritage's Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom

Heritage Experts

Nicolas (Nick) Loris, an economist, focuses on energy, environmental and regulatory issues as the Herbert and Joyce Morgan fellow at The Heritage Foundation.

See publications by Nicolas Loris

Nicolas (Nick) LorisHerbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow

Steven Groves works to protect and preserve American sovereignty, self-governance and independence as leader of The Heritage Foundation's Freedom Project.

See publications by Steven Groves

Steven GrovesBernard and Barbara Lomas Senior Research Fellow

David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D.is the Research Fellow in Energy Economics and Climate Change at The Heritage Foundation's Center for Data Analysis.

See publications by David W. Kreutzer, Ph.D.

David R. BurtonResearch Fellow in Energy Economics and Climate Change

Additional Reading