New Initiative Promotes Environmental Exports
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Commerce Under Secretary Francisco Sanchez announced it during WEFECT 2012.
The Environmental Export Initiative was launched on Oct. 4 by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Commerce Under Secretary Francisco Sánchez at the Water Environment Federation's WEFTEC 2012 conference in New Orleans. The initiative is a collaboration between the International Trade Administration and EPA that promotes environmental exports by showcasing EPA's ingenuity in environmental management and ITA's market development expertise and advancements in export promotion.
Earlier this year, the Trade Policy Promotion Coordination Committee (TPCC) initiative was announced by then-Commerce Secretary John Bryson, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, EPA Administrator Jackson, and Tom Vilsack, secretary of Agriculture. This initiative seeks to enhance environmental technologies on a government-wide level; the Environmental Export Initiative helped officially launch the TPCC initiative that will allow for an increase in environmental technology exports.
Sánchez also announced the Environmental Solutions Exporter Portal, among it is among the first deliverables under the new initiative and will aid environmental exporters in accessing U.S. government services. Exporters now will have access to tailored information on export finance and counseling, market research, trade missions, and technical assistance.
Finally, Jackson announced the U.S. Environmental Solutions Toolkit -- an online and, eventually, mobile resource that links EPA’s ability to resolve environmental issues to U.S. producers of similar technologies. According to EPA, use of this toolkit will improve capabilities of mercury pollution control, groundwater remediation, and better fuel emission control from large marine vessels. ITA and EPA soon will be add more environmental concerns to the toolkit to help address further problems.