WASHINGTON – Ambassador Katherine Tai met today with environmental leaders to discuss the urgent need for innovative, pragmatic and solutions-oriented ideas to protect the environment and tackle climate change. Ambassador Tai highlighted President Biden’s quick action to restore American leadership on climate issues and touted the American Jobs Plan, which will help seed the innovation and technological breakthroughs that will make our country the leader in clean energy technology and jobs.
Ambassador Tai shared her belief that trade policy is an essential and strategic part of meeting the challenge of climate change and protecting the environment. She emphasized that climate mitigation is a global challenge that will require a global solution, and the current rules of globalization are not equipped to deliver that solution. She welcomed their views on a range of issues and encouraged the participants to included environmental justice advocates and partners in their work. The Ambassador closed by stressing her commitment to starting a robust dialogue that helps create new economic opportunities, good paying jobs, cleaner air and a healthier environment.
The meeting attendees included:
• John Podesta, Founder, Center for American Progress
• Amanda Leland, Executive Vice President, Environmental Defense Fund
• Mitchell Bernard, President and Chief Counsel, Natural Resources Defense Council
• Collin O’Mara, President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation
• Ramón Cruz, President, Sierra Club
• Jason Walsh, Executive Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• Dan Lashof, Director, World Resources Institute US
• Manish Bapna, Acting President and CEO, World Resources Institute
• Margie Alt, Executive Director, Climate Action Campaign
• Gene Karpinski, League of Conservation Voters
• Alexander von Bismarck, Executive Director, Environmental Investigation Agency
• Colette Pichon Battle, Founder and Executive Director, Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy
• Andrew Sharpless, Chief Executive Officer, Oceana
• Nik Sehkran, Chief Conservation Officer, World Wildlife Fund
• Tom Steyer, Founder, NextGen America
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