HR6185-119

What This Bill Does

The Targeting Environmental and Climate Recklessness Act creates a sanctions framework aimed at foreign conduct that worsens climate change, deforestation, environmental harm, and attacks on environmental defenders. The findings describe climate harms, the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold, disproportionate impacts on low-income communities and communities of color, and foreign economic activity such as new coal-fired power plants, deforestation, illegal logging, mining, ranching, and environmental misrepresentation. The sense of Congress says the targeted measures are one part of a broader climate strategy and should be used after engagement fails. The bill states U.S. policy to consider Global Magnitsky sanctions for environment-linked corruption and serious human rights abuses against environmental, public health, Indigenous rights, and community land-rights defenders and people displaced by environmental change. The President may impose visa bans, visa revocations, property blocking under IEEPA, and CAATSA-style sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly, recklessly, or willfully engage in or support high-emissions projects outside IPCC-aligned pathways, illegal deforestation, misrepresentation of environmental impacts, suppression of environmental defenders, related official corruption, material support, or ownership and control networks. It excludes intelligence and law enforcement activity, preserves U.N. headquarters and consular treaty obligations, does not authorize import sanctions on goods, applies IEEPA penalties to violations, and authorizes such sums as necessary for Treasury and OFAC targeting work.

Who Benefits and How

Environmental defenders benefit because the bill treats threats, violence, circumvention of opposition, and impunity against them as sanctions triggers. Indigenous rights advocates benefit because Global Magnitsky policy language specifically covers defenders of Indigenous rights and community land rights. Communities exposed to illegal deforestation benefit because foreign persons tied to illegal logging, mining, ranching, and carbon-sink loss may face sanctions pressure. Renewable energy technology providers benefit indirectly because sanctions can target foreign actors that corruptly undermine high-efficiency, low-carbon, or renewable infrastructure adoption. OFAC sanctions staff benefit from authorized resources for climate, environmental, corruption, and human rights targeting work.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Foreign officials promoting high-emissions or deforestation activity risk visa bans, property blocking, and other sanctions. Foreign fossil-fuel project sponsors risk sanctions if projects significantly undermine 1.5-degree-aligned pathways through timing, magnitude, or corruption. Illegal logging operators face sanctions exposure for activities causing illegal deforestation or carbon-sink loss. Mining companies tied to illegal deforestation or environmental defender suppression face sanctions exposure. Greenwashing entities risk sanctions for misrepresenting greenhouse gas emissions or environmental impacts to multilateral organizations, governments, investors, or markets. Sanctions compliance professionals and financial institutions must screen for newly designated foreign persons and blocked property.

Key Provisions

• States U.S. policy to consider Global Magnitsky sanctions for environment-linked corruption and human rights abuses.
• Authorizes sanctions against foreign persons involved in high-emissions projects outside scientifically established 1.5-degree pathways.
• Authorizes sanctions for illegal deforestation, illegal logging, mining, ranching, and carbon-sink loss.
• Authorizes sanctions for misrepresenting greenhouse gas emissions or other environmental impacts of projects, investments, or products.
• Authorizes sanctions for harm to environmental defenders and for material support or ownership networks tied to covered conduct.
• Provides visa bans, visa revocation, property blocking, CAATSA-style sanctions, and IEEPA penalties while excluding import sanctions on goods.
• Authorizes additional Treasury and OFAC resources for targeting under the Act and Global Magnitsky authorities.