December is winding down… I say this because while we still have a few weeks before the new year, we only have a few days before my birthday, which is in the second half of the month. I hope you’re soaking in the holiday spirit!
Before we hang up our stockings, check out all the great news on carbon border adjustments…
EcoRight Speaks, Season 9, Episode 16: Sarah Beth Aubrey, Sustainability Entrepreneur Extraordinaire!
Everyone needs a hype woman like Sarah Beth Aubrey!
A highly experienced advisor and coach for global agricultural brands with a career spanning two decades, she writes. She coaches. She connects people. She’s truly a transformative leader with too many accomplishments to list.
Sarah Beth spoke to us previously about one of her coalitions IN-CLIMATE and for the purpose of this episode, talks about her recent project, The Women In Sustainability Experience, WISE, a membership-based program delivers educational content, career development targeted in the ag-energy sustainability sectors, and exclusive networking benefits to women. I’ve had the honor of participating in two WISE virtual events and look forward to participating in person some day in the future.
Coming up next week, our “best of season 9,” episode is dropping next week on my birthday!
Need more good ear worms? Episodes 3 and 4 of Hot Mess are hot off the presses… (You have to scroll through the CCL feed to find Hot Mess but it’s there!)
Senators float discussion draft of pollution fee bill:
Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham released a discussion draft this week of the Foreign Pollution Act, a bill that would level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers and address unfair competition and the two champions are looking for feedback in preparation for reintroduction next year.
“It is only fair to the American worker that we charge China the same thing we charge ourselves to control pollution,” Cassidy said in a statement. “We cannot let the Chinese Communist Party take our jobs by not enforcing environmental regulations. The Foreign Pollution Fee begins to make China pay, promotes fair trade, preserves jobs in Louisiana, and revives American manufacturing for the future”
Graham added: “It is long past time that the polluters of the world, like China and others, pay a price for their environmental policies. This bill calls out the foreign polluters and rewards American businesses who are doing the right thing.”
For more information, check out this week’s must read…
This week’s must read: Cassidy moves to sell Republicans on carbon tariff pitch (E&E Daily)
Momentum is building for carbon tariffs, as reported by Emma Dumain, who interviewed key stakeholders.
“At its core, the purpose of the retooled ‘Foreign Pollution Fee Act’ remains the same as the original: Leverage data showing that the United States produces certain materials “cleaner” than foreign adversaries — namely China — and impose a fee on certain imports. The fee would still only affect foreign products, continuing to ignore the argument from many Democrats and advocates that a domestic price on carbon is necessary for any new trade policy to meet compliance with the World Trade Organization. One major change includes a more streamlined system for imposing the new fees — a structure that is still being finalized by Cassidy’s office,” Emma reports.
For more reactions, check out her entire article.
Calling all Louisiana and South Carolina members!
If you live in Louisiana or South Carolina, we have a Call To Action for you! Signal your support for the work Cassidy and Graham are doing by sending a letter (we took the liberty of crafting a draft for those who don’t have time to do their own) thanking them for their work.
Click here to get started!
That’s it for me… Hope you enjoyed this episode of this week in carbon tariffs! Now pass the gingerbread cookies.