Sierra Club Welcomes Biden Administration’s Commitment to Integrate Paris Agreement into USMCA

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai indicated that the Biden Administration intends to ask Mexico and Canada to incorporate the Paris climate accord into the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. During a hearing before the Ways & Means Committee on President Biden’s trade agenda, Tai said next week’s meeting with trade ministers of the other two countries would be a “great opportunity” to amend the USMCA’s list of multilateral environmental agreements to include the Paris Agreement.

In January, the majority of House Democrats sent a letter calling for USMCA to be amended to include a binding reinforcement of the Paris Agreement, in line with Sierra Club’s calls for a climate-friendly trade policy.

In response, Sierra Club Living Economy Program Director Ben Beachy released the following statement:

“If the United States is to meet its climate goals, we must transform toxic trade agreements that help corporations export pollution and jobs. Due to decades of outsourcing under unfair trade deals, we now import as much climate pollution as we produce in all U.S. factories combined. Instead, trade agreements should include binding labor and environmental standards to support good jobs, clean manufacturing, and a global ‘race to the top’ in climate action. 

“The Sierra Club applauds USTR Tai and the Biden Administration for taking a first step toward a more climate-friendly trade model by committing to include the Paris Agreement in USMCA -- a move backed by a broad array of congressional leaders and leading environmental groups.”