The Political, Climate, and Economic Arguments for a Border Carbon Adjustment

BPC is hosting a public virtual event on the future of U.S. climate and trade policy, including the possibility of enacting a border carbon adjustment (BCA). There is concern that climate policies enacted in the United State could put U.S. companies at a competitive disadvantage relative to countries that do not. A BCA is a trade tool that levels the field for domestic manufacturers by imposing a fee on carbon-intensive products when they reach the border. A BCA can have the additional benefit of incentivizing other countries to enact their own climate policies. Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) will discuss his FAIR Transition and Competition Act which would create a Border Carbon Adjustment in the United States. Additional speakers will discuss the U.S. carbon advantage, the domestic politics of the broader policy, and the possibility of creating a “carbon club” with other economies with similar policies.

---

Featured Participants

Keynote remarks by:

Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA)
U.S. House of Representatives
@ScottPetersSD

Panel discussion with:

Maureen Hinman
Co-Founder and Chairman, Silverado Policy Accelerator
@SilveradoPolicy

Michael Mehling
Deputy Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research, MIT
@mmehling

Catrina Rorke
Vice President for Policy, Climate Leadership Council
@crorke

George David Banks
Fellow, BPC

Moderated by:

Xan Fishman
Director of Policy and Carbon Management, BPC Energy Project
@XanFishman

In light of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, BPC events have shifted to all remote formats, such as video teleconferences or calls.