News Update
EPA, Commerce launch environmental technology initiative
Staff report
Enviro-Net
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Commerce announced efforts to launch an environmental technology initiative to help create American jobs in the growing environmental industry.
Announced at EPA’s first Technology Market Summit, the initiative will promote American environmental technology, products and services in the global marketplace. The Environmental Technologies Export Initiative builds on President Obama’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014 and support millions of American jobs.
The American environmental industry generates approximately $312 billion in revenues each year, with a global market of more than $800 billion. This growing industry employs nearly 1.7 million Americans and includes over 60,000 small businesses across the country.
A web-based tool, which is scheduled to be launched this fall and hosted on export.gov, will offer U.S. environmental companies detailed information on U.S. government support activities including market research, scientific analysis, regulatory information and financial support programs.
EPA and Commerce are also partnering with trade associations to highlight potential growth opportunities for U.S. companies by increasing access to EPA’s scientific, technical and regulatory information and Commerce’s foreign market analysis and export promotion infrastructure.
When launched, the portal will provide a more systematic approach for U.S. companies looking to expand markets for their environmental products and services abroad.
More information on the National Export Initiative is at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-national-export-initiative. More information on EPA’s export initiative is at http://www.epa.gov/international/trade. More information on EPA’s Technology Summit is at http://www.epa.gov/envirofinance/2012summit.html.