Environment

Committee Mission Statement:

USCIB’s Environment Committee is member-driven, benefitting from the involvement of member experts across a range of key sectors, business topics and responsibilities. The Committee emphasizes the economic, competitiveness, market access and employment benefits that are enabled by sound global environmental rules and international cooperation with U.S. Business, with dedication to achieve win-win outcomes and lasting impact.

USCIB’s Environment Committee represents U.S. Business in the global multilateral arena, providing multi-sectoral business solutions, views, expertise, and actions in international environmental policy deliberations.  As the premier representative of American business, USCIB is the only U.S. business group with Special Consultative Status to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), additionally, USCIB hold official observer status at the UNFCCC, the UN CBD and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Combining this unique access and convening power with its in-house policy expertise, USCIB’s Environment Committee is well-positioned to champion U.S. business interests in a wide range of international policy forums.

The Committee promotes appropriate environmental protection and energy security integrated with open trade, investment, and inclusive economic growth. USCIB calls for enabling frameworks for private sector investment, action, collaboration, and innovation as essential for environmental stewardship and good practice. In representing U.S. Business, USCIB pursues ongoing dialogue with UN officials and the Administration, as well as with other stakeholders.

 

 

 

Trends and Challenges in Environmental Policy Debates:

  • The Paris Agreement, the United Nations 2030 Development Agenda, and the UN Environment Program’s (UNEP) Environment Assembly are reshaping the rules for international commerce and will have a lasting regulatory and reputational impact for US business, affecting market access and investment. Emerging issues, including linkages between international health and environmental policy, have the potential to re-open established policies and practices and could lead to higher costs and other burdens.
  • Rights-based approaches to environmental matters will be part of a proposed Global Pact for Environment, to be launched by the UN and with a potentially broad scope of environmental issues within its mandate for negotiations ahead.
  • Business requires enabling frameworks for investment, action, collaboration and innovation when it comes to promoting environmental stewardship and good practice.

USCIB’s Response:

  • Advocate across multiple channels to establish a recognized business channel into the UNFCCC process, as well as to other UN forums tasked with environment and sustainable development policy. Intergovernmental environmental initiatives will not work if they don’t work with, and for, the private sector, especially since business is expected to support, finance and report on progress.
  • Argue for open markets for trade and investment and IPR protection as essential prerequisites to enable the private sector to provide the innovation, technology and finances needed for international cooperation on climate change and other transboundary environmental issues agreement.
  • Lead a campaign in DC and across multiple UN forums to make the case for inclusion of U.S. business positions and technical input relating to climate change and sustainable development discussions at the following forums:
    • At the UN, where we have official observer status at the UNFCCC, ECOSOC and UNEP
    • At the Major Economies Business Forum (BizMEF), where we are forging stronger links between the business communities of the major emitting countries
    • In Washington, where we are advocating directly to the U.S. government
    • OECD
    • Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)

Magnifying Your Voice with USCIB:

  • USCIB is the only U.S. business association formally affiliated with the world’s three largest business organizations where we work with business leaders across the globe to extend our reach to influence policymakers in key international markets to American business
  • Build consensus with like-minded industry peers and participate in off-the-record briefings with policymakers both home and abroad.

USCIB on LinkedIn

News Stories

USCIB Represents US Business at 6th Session of the UN Environment Assembly   (3/6/2024) - The 6th Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) concluded on March 1 in Nairobi, Kenya. After extensive and,…
Vinblad Speaks on Business and Biodiversity at Columbia University   (2/12/2024) - USCIB Director for Environment and Sustainable Development Agnes Vinblad was invited to participate in an expert panel organized by the…

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Press Releases

Guy Ryder (UN) speaks at the USCIB High Level Roundtable during UNGA78 USCIB Publishes Reports with Business Recommendations to Help Scale UN SDGs (9/18/2023) - New York, N.Y., September 18, 2023 — With the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in full swing,…
USCIB Statement on Climate COP Outcomes and US Business (11/28/2022) - New York, N.Y., November 28, 2022—The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) sought an “Implementation Plus” approach in the…

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Op-Eds and Speeches

Op-Ed: Business Must Come Together to Respond to COVID-19 Now (3/30/2020) - Earlier this month, nearly 500 experts in public health, law and human rights wrote an open letter to U.S Vice…

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USCIB Calls for a Moonshot Mindset in the Business and Government Response to COVID-19 Virus (3/12/2020) - USCIB and Business Partners for Sustainable Development (BPSD) today called for a cooperative, unified, business and government response to the…

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Vice Chairs

Paul Hagen
Director
Beveridge & Diamond, PC

Catherine McKalip-Thompson
Manager of Sustainability, Infrastructure
Bechtel Corporation

Justin Perrettson
Head of Sustainability Partnerships, Scouting & Ventures
Novonesis

Staff

Agnes Vinblad
Director, Environment and Sustainable Development
212-703-5082 or avinblad@uscib.org

 

Staff Contact:   Norine Kennedy

Senior VP, Policy and Global Strategy
Tel: 212.703.5052

Norine Kennedy promotes U.S. business participation in international environmental policy and management initiatives, and works closely with industry, government and NGOs to promote sustainable development and green growth. She also spearheads USCIB’s strategic international engagement initiative, which seeks to advance meaningful business participation and regulatory diplomacy in inter-governmental organizations.
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