Audio Outdoorist: Climate Klatch — Episode 1

Welcome to the first in a new Audio Outdoorist series we’re calling the Climate Klatch. A klatch is an informal gathering, usually involving conversations and coffee. In this series, we’ll deliver monthly conversations about climate action. Our goal is to keep you in the know on what’s happening in the outdoor industry and the broader world around the ever-evolving topic. These are meant to be high-level, bite-size insights and updates. Listen while you sip your morning jo, on your commute to work — if you’re still doing that these days — or while you’re getting ready in the morning or taking a short break midday.

In this first episode, Amy Horton, OIA senior director of sustainable business innovation, and Deborah Williams, OIA director of marketing, communications and storytelling, discuss the most impactful strategies for reducing and reversing global warming by the year 2050 and how the OIA Climate Policy Agenda aims to drive those strategies through a combination of responsible business and federal, state and local legislation.

 

 

More Resources:

 

Climate Interactive

Trade Advisory Council

OIATAC reviews U.S. trade policy, relevant federal legislation and international trade negotiations, develops federal trade policy that may affect OIA membership and recommends policy positions to OIA government affairs staff and OIA leadership. It is guided by OIA’s balanced trade agenda:

Reduce and eliminate tariffs on outdoor products:

 OIATAC has helped developed proposals to eliminate disproportionately high import tariffs assessed against outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment that have no domestically produced counterpart. Each proposal is thoroughly vetted to ensure it comports with the balanced trade agenda. These initiatives include:

  • The US OUTDOOR Act
  • Miscellaneous Tariff Bills (MTBs)
  • Trans-Pacific Partnership
  • Athletic Footwear Initiative

New markets for outdoor products:

 OIATAC helps identify new market opportunities, including efforts to eliminate trade barriers on U.S. exports to overseas markets and ensuring U.S. trade agreements provide reciprocal market access for American outdoor products.

Composition and Responsibilities

OIATAC is made up of OIA members engaged in the business of manufacturing, marketing, and/or distributing outdoor recreation products. It includes representatives from small, medium and large entities representing all segments of the industry, including manufacturing, importers and retailers. OIATAC is administered and supported by OIA government affairs staff.

OIATAC conducts monthly calls to review OIA’s trade agenda and holds in-person meetings at Outdoor Retailer Summer and Winter Market. It also participates in lobby efforts in Washington, D.C. to advance the industry’s trade agenda.