Thread by @AmbassadorTai

Today I am speaking at @amprog to talk about the importance of using trade policy to address one of the biggest challenges we face: climate change.

President Biden has taken immediate action to restore American leadership on this crucial issue. He immediately rejoined the Paris Agreement and signed a sweeping executive order to begin tackling the climate crisis.

The historic investments in the American Rescue Plan are already helping to stabilize the economy and bring the pandemic to an end. The American Jobs Plan is the next step in our effort to reimagine and rebuild a new economy.

Comprehensive action is the only way forward, and this challenge must be at the center of U.S. foreign policy, national security, and economic policy.

USTR sits at the intersection of all three areas, and I am honored to lead this agency and the dedicated public servants who will answer the call.

During my confirmation hearing, I made clear that protecting our planet would be a top priority.

For many decades, efforts to integrate environmental concerns through trade agreements were largely dismissed as wrongheaded, bleeding heart attempts to incorporate “social issues” in the trading system.

According to this line of thinking, environmental issues are either irrelevant, or tangentially related, to economics or trade.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

The goal is to ensure that we and our trading partners are engaged in fair competition that does not suppress environmental protection. The United States has been, and remains, the leader in rewriting trade rules so that they move us toward this model of fair competition.

USMCA is the most recent example of our own evolution. The updated agreement now includes the most comprehensive environmental standards of any U.S. trade agreement.

Critical environmental provisions reflected in the USMCA include strong rules to address:

▪️ wildlife trafficking,
▪️ illegal logging and fishing,
▪️ fisheries subsidies
▪️ marine litter, and
▪️air and water pollution

I am all too aware that however laudable the rules, they must actually be enforced.

I am committed to enforcing the rules of USMCA and our other agreements to ensure not only that we follow through on our promises to protect the planet, but that we protect workers against this kind of unfair competition.

Going forward, trade has a role to play in discouraging the race to the bottom and incentivizing a race to the top.

Beyond disciplines that discourage harmful behaviors, we can also create rules that promote positive ones.

For climate mitigation, developing innovative environmental technologies, goods, and services and cultivating strategic international supply chains for trade will be key.

That’s why I was so committed to helping resolve a big trade dispute between SK Innovation and LG Energy Solutions, two South Korean companies who make electric batteries here in the United States.

We need a strong, diversified, and resilient supply chain of electric vehicle batteries in America to meet the growing global demand and to expand U.S. manufacturing of clean energy vehicles.

For too long, the traditional trade community has resisted the view that trade policy is a legitimate tool in helping to solve the climate crisis.

But that dated line of thinking only perpetuates the chasm that exists between the lived experiences – and expectations – of real people on the one hand, and trade experts on the other.

My job is to bridge that chasm and push for trade reforms that translate into meaningful change in the lives of farmers, ranchers, factory workers, parents, children – not just in the United States, but around the world.

For example, climate-friendly and sustainable agricultural production is essential to meeting our climate and sustainability goals. Our farmers and ranchers can lead the world with innovative carbon conservation practices.

I am also fortunate to be working with a strong Biden-Harris team of visionary leaders charting this course on climate change.

From day one, I made it clear that we are not going to do business as usual. I’ve challenged my team to be thoughtful and innovative in building trusted relationships with stakeholders who haven’t had an established seat at the table or been at the table at all.

We want a robust dialogue. We expect justice and equity to be on everyone’s agenda, and we welcome creative solutions to the massive challenges we face with the environment, with climate change, and trade as a whole.

By engaging new – and all too frequently silenced – voices and encouraging fresh, collaborative thinking, we can forge consensus and find solutions that we never knew existed.

This work has the potential to unlock new opportunities for U.S. companies who can help reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.

Our bold, collective action can create enormous new economic opportunities and good paying jobs for all Americans while building the industries of the future.

And we will not overlook our obligation to take on centuries of discrimination, oppression and bigotry. Racial justice and equity must be central to the conversation.

The intersection of environment, climate change, labor, and trade are key to our collective ability to compete, innovate, and create livable wage jobs that will provide hope and opportunity for future generations and underserved communities.

This is why I believe that trade policy is an essential and strategic part of the solution to these huge challenges.

I look forward to working with all of you in the days ahead to meet the moment. I’m ready, and I hope you are too.