News & Insights

Washington, DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) is leading a delegation of U.S. businesses to participate in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP-15) in Copenhagen. The delegation, which is being led by NFTC Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin, will participate in a series of high-level meetings with environmental negotiators and trade officials, including from the World Trade Organization (WTO). The goal of the visit is to highlight the intersection between efforts to address climate change and the global economy.

“It is important for policymakers and other stakeholders to pay attention to the connection between the environment and the global economy,” said Colvin. “One area that deserves more focus is green trade. Lowering trade barriers and promoting solid investment climates can help achieve our environmental goals.”

While in Copenhagen, the NFTC-led delegation will participate in a number of events and will host a series of briefings for key officials, which will focus on trade and competitiveness aspects of international action on climate. In addition, the NFTC is partnering with the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB) on an event focused on trade and climate change.

On Tuesday, the NFTC will participate in an all-day event organized by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), during which Colvin will deliver remarks as part of a panel discussion on “Clean Energy Generation and Lean Energy Use: Interweaving Trade and Regulatory Frameworks.”

As an organization focused solely on international trade and tax policy, the NFTC advocates multilateral cooperation on climate change, supports open and transparent trade in green goods and services, and urges that U.S. climate policies be compliant with WTO rules.

For more information about the NFTC’s climate-related efforts, please click here. To learn more about the December 15, 2009 ICTSD conference, please click here.

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