Good morning, everyone.
Morning.
What a wonderful.
It's my first time here to the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office.
What a beautiful facility. Right. That's. That's awesome.
And I thank you so much for.
For them hosting this event.
AnnMarie.
Thank you for the kind the kind introduction.
And thank you everyone, both here and online
for joining us for our inaugural Green Trade Forum.
And AnnMarie, the team's done just a great job putting this together
and really the agenda and the lineup of folks just proves
how important this initiative is for all of us.
I hope you enjoyed hearing from my esteemed Australian
Border Force colleague, Kimberly Stamatis.
It is encouraging to hear from our like minded partners
about how they are addressing challenges presented by global climate change
and its impact on customs missions worldwide.
Climate change is both, as we all have been discussing
this morning, as both a national economic security threat.
As you heard earlier, several executive orders reflect the U.S.
government's recognition that this crisis is central to U.S.
foreign policy, national security and our border operations.
In fact, NATO recognizes climate change as a defining challenge of our time
with a profound impact on our allies security.
The business of trade is no exception.
We cannot conduct cross-border trade in our facilities, infrastructure
and our global supply chains will not withstand climate
and environmental impacts if we fail to prepare, the consequences
could be devastating, but we all know we can overcome these challenges together.
We have heard a lot about the green trade strategies, goals
from our Executive Assistant Commissioner Highsmith.
I want to highlight how CBP is doing our part to achieve these goals.
CBP’s Green
Trade strategy aligns with broader efforts
by the Department of Homeland Security, supporting a whole of government approach
to addressing the impacts of climate change on the trade mission.
As you heard earlier, CBP recognizes
the importance of making our operational footprint greener.
CBP has established metrics
to measure the environmental impact of our activities in line
with federal reporting requirements, and is in the process of establishing
additional green trade targets and metrics.
For example, in fiscal year 2022, CBP
achieved a 69.6% reduction in scope one
and two greenhouse gas emissions from our fiscal year 2008 baseline.
This achievement nearly doubled our original goal to reduce emissions by 38%.
But we have a lot more to do. In 2022,
CBP is top three report reported Scope one and two Emissions sources
were associated with purchased electricity fleet and building fuel consumption.
We continue to assess and reduce scope one and two greenhouse
gas emissions at facilities with the greatest amount
of annual energy consumption and at facilities that combust
fuels onsite for heating, cooling and other energy needs.
We also continue to implement measures
to bring our real estate portfolio to net zero or close to net zero.
For instance, CBP is working to execute an energy savings
performance contract involving more than 75
CBP facilities across 15 states and Puerto Rico.
This project will improve energy conservation at roughly
6% of our 1245 buildings.
Facility improvements will include
more efficient lighting, upgraded heating, ventilation
and air conditioning systems, water conservation measures.
And let me get this word right.
Photovoltaic solar panel installation.
I'm from Minnesota, so my language is will challenge here.
As part of this contract, CBP will execute two specialized projects
funded by Department of Department of Energy grants for the first project.
CBP and our vendor will focus on essential lighting solutions
that improve essential performance and minimize life cycle lifecycle costs.
For the second project, CBP will build a PV
solar power array and battery energy storage system
at Border Patrol
headquarters in Puerto Rico to improve the facility's
resilience to hurricanes and other natural disasters.
CBP has already
already has
several examples of net zero facilities, including Border Patrol stations
in California, Idaho, Texas and Washington State.
The San Ysidro land border, port of Entry and San Diego in partnership.
A partnership between CBP and GSA
to improve sustainability of CBP occupied facilities.
San Ysidro, the business busiest border crossing in the Western Hemisphere,
is the first GSA facility to achieve
three leaders leadership in energy and environmental design.
Platinum certificates.
Currently, 35% of CBP is real estate Portfolio
meets federal high standards, sustainable building standards.
We are committed to achieving even greater levels of sustainability
modernization efforts
funded under the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Are underway to upgrade 26 land border
ports of entry to be more sustainable, energy efficient
and meet federal green building requirements.
CBP is also purchasing electric vehicles and charging stations by 2030.
Our goal is to have 50% of the CBP vehicle fleet compromised,
believes this will reduce our fossil fuel resilience, lower
our greenhouse gas emissions, and create a more resilient fleet and infrastructure.
Finally, we are using technological investment
and better data to ensure both operational efficiencies and environmental benefits.
A double win. A couple more examples.
We are conducting a poor emissions modeling and analysis study
through the Department of Energy's National Laboratories.
The study will provide a baseline model for current commercial truck greenhouse
gas emissions at land ports of entry, and offer recommendations to reduce
overall emissions and boost cargo processing efficiency.
Furthermore, we have deployed
our Truck Manifest modernization program in an advanced electronic manifest,
electronic manifest,
cut border wait times and reduce emissions from idling vehicles.
Preliminary results show that average processing times in primary inspection
have been reduced from 2 minutes to about 30 seconds
for more than 99% of the 45
to 50000 trucks released daily
before less than 40% of truck
manifests were processed in a short amount of time.
CBP is also
digitizing our remaining manual and paper based compliance processes.
We are investing in the development of digital supply chain technologies
and will help CBP and broader trade community trace and verify the origin
composition and environmental impact of the products.
Lastly, we are collaborating with DHS Science and Technology to invest in
greener innovation and research, including potential
future prize competitions.
Tackling climate change requires a worldwide
coordinated effort between the public and private sector.
Today's participants are a great example
of how we can come together and do just that.
CBP is currently partnering with the Department of Transportation,
the American Association of Port Authorities, the International Task Force
on Port Call Optimization and International Port Community Systems
Association to develop an open source
port community information system.
This system has been designed to optimize port business
processing and reduce related greenhouse gas emissions.
Our work with our interagency partners also includes enforcement
of the United States Mexico Canada agreement provisions that prevent
natural resource crimes such as illegal
deforestation and timber logging, illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing and wildlife trafficking
in January
2022, CBP and Environmental Protection Agency
initiated the Interagency Task Force on
illegal hydrofluorocarbon Trade to detect, deter and disrupt
illegal importation of hydrofluorocarbons into the United States.
CBP and EPA issued letters of denial, stopping illegal shipments
to more than 889,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide,
which equates to emission from nearly 173,000 homes
based on electricity usage for one year.
CBP is also working with NGOs to target natural resource crimes
and illicit trade and to strategically and vision for the future.
Our partnerships include collaboration with
C4ADS, who we are excited to have here today,
as well as the Environmental Investigative Agency, the World Wildlife Fund,
Global Fishing Watch and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,
CBP, US Fish and Wildlife and the Department of State
are currently coordinating to expand enforcement activities to target
illegal logging operations in Brazil, which threaten the Amazon.
We are also partnering with Global Fishing Watch to deter illegal fishing
by improving visibility into fishing vessel locations
and we are working with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership on a project
in the Baja California Protective Zone to save the endangered Totoaba
fish and the Vaquita porpoise.
And on that note, just this last April,
CBP officers in the area,
part of Nogales and Arizona, partnered with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to seize 242 lbs
of protected totoaba swim bladders
worth an estimated $2.7 million.
This is the second largest seizure of this kind of the United States.
These bladders should have never been harvested,
which is why we continue to ramp up our enforcement efforts with our partners.
What's next?
I would like to highlight our global customs partnerships.
I would especially like to thank the citizens
Secretary Stamatis again for and her colleagues
at the Australian Border Force for her message today and for joining us
in recognizing the impact of climate change to our customs mission.
We are also grateful for the work being advanced with multilateral forums
like the World Customs Organization to define
the global scope and green of Green customs.
In fact, we are contributing to the WCO’s
Green Customs Action Plan, which will be launched later this year.
Going forward, CBP
will implement new initiatives that achieve green trade goals.
Our plans include reviewing an existing authorized economic,
economic operator programs, surveying and collaborating with international
organizations and governments such as the WCO and the European Union,
and engaging with industry partners, NGOs,
academic institutions to solicit ideas and perspectives.
With the Green Trade Strategy.
CBP has set an example for customs authorities around the world to develop
greener standards for global trade and collaborate with industry
stakeholders, stakeholders and the public.
We are uniquely positioned to promote a global green
trade environment through cutting edge practices and enforcement.
We want to hear from you.
Continue to hear from you.
Our trade stakeholders,
our other government partners to generate meaningful incentives.
It is one of the primary reasons we are here today.
Together, we will develop higher global standards for green trade
to create a sustainable future with that withstands climate change.
Thank you so much for having me.