| Trade and Green Economy |
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Focusing on trade and the green economy five main principles were covered during the workshop: World Trade Organization (WTO) principles and the environment; the link between multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and trade; market opportunities in a global green economy; trade aspects of the green economy; and examination of the trade submissions to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and the zero draft of the Conference Outcome Document. UNCTAD stressed that the Zero Draft language on trade could be more ambitious and that green economy is already happening around the world. According to joint briefing from the UNCSD Secretariat and UNCTAD, there are a few international trade related measures and pressures that can yet better promote a transition to a green economy. For instance, environmentally-driven consumer pressures can be instrumental in forcing corporations to adopt sustainable practices. National legislation and even unilateral trade measures — which can be against WTO rules — may as well provide incentives for trade partners switching to a greener economy. Some countries have however expressed concerns about the impact such a transition can have on their external trade relations. “Competitiveness and environmental standards are often considered enemies. There is evidence, however, that trade policy and environmental policy can act as complements in the development of conditions within which firms can innovate and become more internationally competitive. Germany and Japan have amongst the toughest environmental regimes in the world, yet both are among the most able to compete internationally”, reads the issue brief from the UNCSD and UNCTAD. Sources:
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The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the UN Economic Commission for Latin American and the Caribbean (ECLAC) organized a workshop on 19 January on “The trade dimension of Rio+20: Unpacking the issues”.