Daniel Firger Associate Director and Fellow In response to persistent concerns that China intentionally undervalues its currency, the renminbi, the U.S. House of Representatives voted September 29 to give the Obama administration sweeping new authority to impose retaliatory tariffs on Chinese imports. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) indicated he would press […]
International
268 posts
Daniel Firger Associate Director and Fellow In what may be an ominous shot across the bow for green jobs advocates, Japan on September 13 submitted a complaint to the World Trade Organization alleging that a Canadian renewable energy law violates WTO non-discrimination rules. [1] At issue are a set of […]
By Matt Wisnieff The Kerry-Lieberman (KL) bill details a plan for United States participation in international climate change efforts in Title V, §§ 5001-5007, which begins on page 893. These provisions recognize that widespread social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental challenges are posed by climate change—particularly to developing countries—that imperil […]
by Jessica Wentz The Kerry-Lieberman (KL) bill addresses international offsets in Title II, Subtitle A, Part E, entitled: “Offset Credit Program for International Emission Reductions”, §§ 751-763 (p. 423-469). These sections articulate the requirements for implementing an international offsets program, and for determining what types of offsets will be recognized […]
By Elisa Botero* Colombia is the number one cocaine producer in the world. Hundreds of hectares of coca bush, the main component of cocaine, are planted each year to produce this popular recreational drug, consumed mainly in Europe and North America. The local social, economic and environmental impacts of illicit drug production have been […]
By Hannah Chang The term “legally binding” has become a touchstone of sorts in international climate policy. The Copenhagen Accord taken note of by the fifteenth Conference of Parties (COP) under the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2009 is not legally binding. Heads of state and […]
My last blog was written shortly after midnight on Thursday. Here are my observations concerning Friday and Saturday. Friday was a day of high drama and muddled results. As the workday began (and many committees were continuing their sleepless drafting, amid a backdrop of radically fluctuating expectations that by turns […]
As I write this a little after midnight on Thursday, less than 24 hours remain before the nominal close of the Copenhagen talks. And local television is playing continuous loops of an English-language TV movie (with Danish subtitles) about an evil oil company that is trying to sabotage the “Kyoto […]