Ambassador Kirk and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson hosted a meeting of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC) on June 11th at USTR. TEPAC is comprised of a broad range of representatives from non-governmental organizations, the private sector, think tanks, and academia, and provides policy advice on issues relating to trade and the environment. Ambassador Kirk provided TEPAC with an update on the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and commented that “interest [in the negotiations] is growing exponentially.” Ambassador Kirk also provided updates on the trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama, and on recent developments in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, including a read-out of the APEC Trade Ministers’ meeting in Kazan, Russia.
Administrator Jackson explained how environmental standards can help drive innovation and markets. She provided a report on the EPA’s export promotion initiative, including a report on the EPA Technology Market Summit, as well as information on work being undertaken in the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation. Following their remarks, Ambassador Kirk and Administrator Jackson engaged in an informative discussion with TEPAC members, which touched on a broad range of trade and environment matters.
Ambassador Kirk and Administrator Jackson Co-host the TEPAC Meeting
at USTR
