You're invited to the 24th Annual PNWER Summit in Whistler, B.C.
Preliminary topics for discussion include:
Agriculture
- Food interests in international free trade agreements, including tariff and non-tariff issues
- Geographical indicators (GIs) in the context of Canada's recent trade agreement with the EU and the U.S.'s current negotiations with the EU
- Food safety
Energy Storage
- Trends and challenges in energy storage technologies
- State of energy storage technology industry in PNWER region
Energy & Environment
- Best practices in energy efficiency and green energy services
- Policy trends to provide incentives for renewable energy and green energy
Natural Gas Vehicles
- How PNWER can lead North America in Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV's) - rail, truck, and marine pilots; policy recommendations for increased adoption
- Best practices for off-the-grid natural gas industrial applications
Transportation
- Aligning truck size and weights
- Regional rail and port capacity
- Greening supply chains, LNG locomotives
- Green Gateway Initiative
Workforce Development - Economic development opportunities through labor mobility
- Mechatronics training programs
Forestry - The opportunities and economic impacts of the forestry sector in the region
- Issues and trends in forest management, including forest health, fire prevention and best practices in climate change adaptation
- Regional best practices to market wood products, BC's Wood First Initiative: Creating a Culture of Wood
Mining - Best practices for health and safety - Community engagement and social license - New U.S. Extractive Industries Transparencies Initiative
Ocean Policy - Oil spill response: inter-jurisdictional collaboration for rapid response and challenges for response in remote areas - Marine spatial planning
Trade and Economic Development - U.S. - Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council initiatives
Invasive Species - Zebra and Quagga mussel prevention - Industry initiatives to prevent the spread of invasive species - Early detection and rapid response - Pathways based risk assessment
- Success in eradication and control
Cross-Border Livestock Health
- RCC Working Group - Veterinary Drug Submission Harmonization - RCC Working Group - Zoning for Foreign Animal Diseases - RCC Working Group - Meat and Poultry Certification - Dairy farm audit - Animal welfare - Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in Canada and the U.S. - Disease safeguards at the border - Antiparasitic resistance - Genetically modified organisms and livestock feed Market Access - Expanding market access for natural resources in the Pacific NW: oil, natural gas, potash, coal
- Addressing regional rail, road, and port infrastructure needs
- Increasing public awareness of the benefits of the integrated supply chain and transportation system
Border Issues
- Improving border processes for business travel - Cross-border clusters pilot project
- Regional Roundtable to suggest new issues for Beyond the Border Action Plan
Tourism
- Two Nation Vacation and Norpass
- Visa pilot project
- Best practices in marketing and new opportunities
Innovation - Cross-Border regional collaboration for startups
- Best practices for supporting entrepreneurs; incubation and hub networks
Water Policy
- Water governance
- Policy choices: economics and environment
- Columbia River Treaty
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