WEBVTT

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Good morning, everyone.

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Morning.

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What a wonderful.

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It's my first time here to the U.S.

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Patent and Trademark Office.

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What a beautiful facility. Right. That's.
That's awesome.

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And I thank you so much for.

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For them hosting this event.

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AnnMarie.

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Thank you for the kind
the kind introduction.

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And thank you everyone,
both here and online

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for joining us for our inaugural Green
Trade Forum.

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And AnnMarie, the team's done
just a great job putting this together

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and really the agenda
and the lineup of folks just proves

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how important
this initiative is for all of us.

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I hope you enjoyed hearing
from my esteemed Australian

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Border Force colleague, Kimberly Stamatis.

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It is encouraging to hear from our
like minded partners

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about how they are addressing challenges
presented by global climate change

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and its impact on customs
missions worldwide.

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Climate change is both,
as we all have been discussing

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this morning, as both a national economic
security threat.

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As you heard earlier,
several executive orders reflect the U.S.

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government's recognition
that this crisis is central to U.S.

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foreign policy, national security
and our border operations.

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In fact, NATO recognizes climate change
as a defining challenge of our time

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with a profound impact on our allies
security.

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The business of trade is no exception.

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We cannot conduct cross-border
trade in our facilities, infrastructure

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and our global supply chains
will not withstand climate

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and environmental impacts
if we fail to prepare, the consequences

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could be devastating, but we all know
we can overcome these challenges together.

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We have heard a lot about the green trade
strategies, goals

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from our Executive Assistant Commissioner
Highsmith.

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I want to highlight how CBP is doing our
part to achieve these goals.

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CBP’s Green

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Trade strategy aligns with broader
efforts

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by the Department of Homeland Security,
supporting a whole of government approach

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to addressing the impacts
of climate change on the trade mission.

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As you heard earlier, CBP recognizes

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the importance of making our operational
footprint greener.

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CBP has established metrics

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to measure the environmental impact
of our activities in line

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with federal reporting requirements,
and is in the process of establishing

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additional green trade
targets and metrics.

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For example, in fiscal year 2022, CBP

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achieved a 69.6% reduction in scope one

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and two greenhouse gas emissions
from our fiscal year 2008 baseline.

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This achievement nearly doubled our
original goal to reduce emissions by 38%.

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But we have a lot more to do. In 2022,

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CBP is top three report reported Scope
one and two Emissions sources

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were associated with purchased electricity
fleet and building fuel consumption.

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We continue to assess and reduce scope
one and two greenhouse

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gas emissions at facilities
with the greatest amount

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of annual energy consumption
and at facilities that combust

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fuels onsite for heating,
cooling and other energy needs.

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We also continue to implement measures

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to bring our real estate portfolio
to net zero or close to net zero.

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For instance, CBP
is working to execute an energy savings

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performance contract
involving more than 75

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CBP facilities
across 15 states and Puerto Rico.

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This project will improve
energy conservation at roughly

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6% of our 1245 buildings.

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Facility improvements will include

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more efficient lighting,
upgraded heating, ventilation

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and air conditioning systems, water
conservation measures.

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And let me get this word right.

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Photovoltaic solar panel installation.

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I'm from Minnesota,
so my language is will challenge here.

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As part of this contract,
CBP will execute two specialized projects

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funded by Department of Department
of Energy grants for the first project.

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CBP and our vendor will focus on essential
lighting solutions

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that improve essential performance
and minimize life cycle lifecycle costs.

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For the second project, CBP
will build a PV

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solar power
array and battery energy storage system

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at Border Patrol

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headquarters in Puerto Rico
to improve the facility's

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resilience to hurricanes
and other natural disasters.

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CBP has already

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already has

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several examples of net zero facilities,
including Border Patrol stations

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in California, Idaho, Texas
and Washington State.

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The San Ysidro land border, port of Entry
and San Diego in partnership.

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A partnership between CBP and GSA

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to improve sustainability
of CBP occupied facilities.

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San Ysidro, the business busiest border
crossing in the Western Hemisphere,

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is the first GSA facility to achieve

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three leaders leadership in energy
and environmental design.

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Platinum certificates.

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Currently, 35% of CBP is real estate
Portfolio

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meets federal high standards,
sustainable building standards.

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We are committed to achieving
even greater levels of sustainability

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modernization efforts

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funded under the bipartisan
infrastructure law.

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Are underway to upgrade 26 land border

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ports of entry
to be more sustainable, energy efficient

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and meet federal green building
requirements.

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CBP is also purchasing electric vehicles
and charging stations by 2030.

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Our goal is to have 50% of the CBP
vehicle fleet compromised,

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believes this will reduce our fossil
fuel resilience, lower

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our greenhouse gas emissions, and create
a more resilient fleet and infrastructure.

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Finally,
we are using technological investment

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and better data to ensure both operational
efficiencies and environmental benefits.

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A double win. A couple more examples.

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We are conducting a poor emissions
modeling and analysis study

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through the Department of Energy's
National Laboratories.

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The study will provide a baseline model
for current commercial truck greenhouse

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gas emissions at land ports of entry,
and offer recommendations to reduce

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overall emissions and boost cargo
processing efficiency.

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Furthermore, we have deployed

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our Truck Manifest modernization program
in an advanced electronic manifest,

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electronic manifest,

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cut border wait times and reduce emissions
from idling vehicles.

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Preliminary results show that average
processing times in primary inspection

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have been reduced from 2 minutes
to about 30 seconds

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for more than 99% of the 45

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to 50000 trucks released daily

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before less than 40% of truck

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manifests
were processed in a short amount of time.

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CBP is also

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digitizing our remaining manual and paper
based compliance processes.

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We are investing in the development of
digital supply chain technologies

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and will help CBP and broader trade
community trace and verify the origin

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composition
and environmental impact of the products.

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Lastly, we are collaborating with
DHS Science and Technology to invest in

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greener innovation and research,
including potential

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future prize competitions.

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Tackling
climate change requires a worldwide

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coordinated effort
between the public and private sector.

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Today's participants are a great example

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of how we can come together
and do just that.

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CBP is currently partnering
with the Department of Transportation,

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the American Association of Port
Authorities, the International Task Force

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on Port Call Optimization
and International Port Community Systems

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Association to develop an open source

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port community information system.

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This system has been designed
to optimize port business

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processing and reduce
related greenhouse gas emissions.

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Our work with our interagency partners
also includes enforcement

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of the United States Mexico Canada
agreement provisions that prevent

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natural resource crimes
such as illegal

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deforestation and timber
logging, illegal,

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unreported and unregulated
fishing and wildlife trafficking

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in January

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2022,
CBP and Environmental Protection Agency

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initiated
the Interagency Task Force on

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illegal hydrofluorocarbon
Trade to detect, deter and disrupt

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illegal importation of hydrofluorocarbons
into the United States.

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CBP and EPA issued letters of denial,
stopping illegal shipments

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to more than 889,000 metric
tons of carbon dioxide,

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which equates to emission
from nearly 173,000 homes

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based on electricity
usage for one year.

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CBP is also working with NGOs
to target natural resource crimes

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and illicit trade and to strategically
and vision for the future.

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Our partnerships
include collaboration with

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C4ADS,
who we are excited to have here today,

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as well as the Environmental Investigative
Agency, the World Wildlife Fund,

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Global Fishing Watch
and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,

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CBP, US Fish
and Wildlife and the Department of State

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are currently coordinating
to expand enforcement activities to target

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illegal logging operations in Brazil,
which threaten the Amazon.

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We are also partnering with Global Fishing
Watch to deter illegal fishing

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by improving visibility
into fishing vessel locations

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and we are working with the Sustainable
Fisheries Partnership on a project

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in the Baja California Protective Zone
to save the endangered Totoaba

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fish and the Vaquita porpoise.

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And on that note, just this last April,

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CBP officers in the area,

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part of Nogales
and Arizona, partnered with the U.S.

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Fish and Wildlife Service to seize 242 lbs

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of protected totoaba swim bladders

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worth an estimated $2.7 million.

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This is the second largest seizure
of this kind of the United States.

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These bladders
should have never been harvested,

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which is why we continue to ramp up
our enforcement efforts with our partners.

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What's next?

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I would like to highlight
our global customs partnerships.

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I would especially like to thank
the citizens

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Secretary Stamatis again
for and her colleagues

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at the Australian Border Force
for her message today and for joining us

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in recognizing the impact
of climate change to our customs mission.

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We are also grateful for the work
being advanced with multilateral forums

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like the World Customs Organization
to define

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the global scope
and green of Green customs.

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In fact, we are contributing to the WCO’s

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Green Customs Action Plan,
which will be launched later this year.

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Going forward, CBP

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will implement new initiatives
that achieve green trade goals.

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Our plans include
reviewing an existing authorized economic,

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economic operator programs, surveying
and collaborating with international

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organizations and governments
such as the WCO and the European Union,

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and engaging with industry partners, NGOs,

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academic institutions
to solicit ideas and perspectives.

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With the Green Trade Strategy.

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CBP has set an example for customs
authorities around the world to develop

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greener standards for global trade
and collaborate with industry

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stakeholders, stakeholders and the public.

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We are uniquely positioned
to promote a global green

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trade environment through cutting edge
practices and enforcement.

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We want to hear from you.

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Continue to hear from you.

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Our trade stakeholders,

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our other government partners
to generate meaningful incentives.

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It is one of the primary reasons
we are here today.

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Together, we will develop higher
global standards for green trade

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to create a sustainable future
with that withstands climate change.

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Thank you so much for having me.