When the winds of change blow, a Chinese proverb says, some people build walls and others build windmills. Given the tremendous environmental challenges the world faces, it’s not enough just to build windmills. We need to develop a range of innovative environmental technologies, and we need to break down barriers to trading them worldwide.
Global trade in wind turbines, water filters and other environmental goods amounts to nearly $1 trillion annually, and it’s growing fast. But high tariffs across the world’s clean-tech market limit many countries’ access to these technologies. Removing unnecessary taxes would not only make green technology solutions more affordable, it would be a triple win: boosting trade, spurring innovation and protecting the environment.
