Secretary of State Rex Tillerson endeared himself to Democratic lawmakers worried about climate change, by signing an international declaration saying that the Arctic region is at risk.

“I’m surprised and cautiously pleased by the secretary’s move,” Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., a co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus, said Friday. “The Fairbanks Declaration is a clear acknowledgment that the Arctic is quickly warming and a resounding pledge by the Arctic countries to address the impacts of climate change on our world, including reducing methane and carbon emissions.”