POLITICO Quotes Clete Willems on Potential Biden Admin. Use of Trade to Combat Global Warming
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POLITICO has quoted Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems in the article “How Biden would use trade agreements to fight global warming.” The article reports that such a move would vastly differ from years of U.S. trade policy that largely ignored climate change.
Democrats and environmentalists, according to POLITICO, say the change is necessary because the worst effects of climate change cannot be averted unless the whole world cuts carbon emissions. The United States, it says, has the economic leverage to push that change.
Meanwhile, the article notes that Republicans say Biden risks alienating Rust Belt voters if his policies reduce exports of heavy manufactured goods or fossil fuels like oil and natural gas—even if there is a simultaneous drop in imports from other countries.
“Biden is going to have a big problem if he really goes in this direction in a vigorous way,” said Willems. “If you start adopting policies that shut down exports you’re going to have a lot of unhappy people in politically important states.”