Donald Trump came to office promising sweeping changes to the US’s traditional trade and investment policies. Such shifts on trade and investment could offer an opportunity to align these policies with action on climate change. On the other hand, Trump’s priorities, particularly with respect to developing domestic fossil fuels, signal that trade policies will head in the opposite direction. This panel will discuss how trade and investment policy may be reconciled with climate change imperatives and commitments, the trade risks the Trump administration’s climate policies present, and how the United States Trade Representative might approach these issues in new trade and investment (re)negotiations. This event is co-organized with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Environmental Law Society at Columbia Law School. Moderator: Michael Gerrard, Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law School Panelists: Ben Beachy, Senior Policy Advisor, Responsible Trade Program, Sierra Club Silvia Maciunas, Senior Research Fellow, Center for International Governance Innovation Dalindyebo Shabalala, Visiting Assistant Professor, Case Western Reserve University, School of Law, and Director of the Institute on Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property
New York City, NY; NYC