Public and private actors are showing great interest in green trade topics. The urgency of environmental challenges is driving a re-think of our production and consumption networks. Supply chain sustainability is gathering mainstream attention, the circular economy needs to be delivered across value chains, while trade and climate topics are increasingly intersecting.
Yet, trade is also not without environmental challenges. Emissions from all modes of international merchandise transport could increase by up to 160% by 2050 if no action is taken. “Environmental leakage” could occur if companies chose to move production to lower standards jurisdictions. Conversely, exporters could be shut out of markets by high standards they are unable to meet. Companies may want to improve suppliers’ impacts, but can have limited visibility upstream, and face a highly complex reporting landscape.
There is a need to identify practical ways trade can support the transition to a greener global economy.
The opportunity
The Forum has an established green trade public-private community to unpack these issues. We provide value to stakeholders by:
-Organising multistakeholder research to frame issues, identify solutions, and supportive policies
-Rolling out in-country pilot initiatives to deepen understanding of green trade opportunities
-Building momentum for green trade policy cooperation and outcomes in intergovernmental settings
Our green trade community draws on the strengths of the Forum’s trade and environment networks. We blend academic and policy expertise with practical insights from industry and market leaders. Since “green trade” covers many different topics, we run several parallel workstreams focused on specific concerns or themes often in collaboration with other teams across the Forum, and are always open to new ideas to take forward.
Currently, our main areas of focus in supply chain sustainability, the Climate Trade Zero initiative, and circular trade. Get in touch for more information.
By making climate-friendly technologies more readily available, trade can support climate action, and governments must work together to encourage their uptake.
Supply chains are important levers for achieving sustainability goals and have gained increased corporate, governmental and civil society attention. This white paper charts regulatory dev...
The urgency of the climate crisis demands that greater attention be given to the role of trade in accelerating emissions reductions and mitigating the effects of climate change while purs...
Electronics are a critical part of our lives and even more so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, however, too many electronics wind up in the environment, are recycle...
Plastic pollution has become a pressing challenge with damaging effects on human health and environmental well-being. Many governments are seeking ways to decrease single-use plastics and...
As governments and businesses grapple with the effects of COVID-19, other global challenges remain. Once the immediate crisis abates, countries must intensify environmental action to tack...
Trade accounts for 50% of global GDP, making it a significant economic driver. That means trade – around two-thirds of which is conducted across value chains – plays a big role in shaping...
Trade sometimes gets a bad rap as it conjures up images of goods crisscrossing the planet via land, sea, or air, contributing to transport emissions. New evidence on the intersection betw...
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment report once again focused international attention on the acute urgency of climate action. Combatting climate change...
There is a myth that trade policy and climate action are inherently at odds. That does not have to be the case. Trade can, and should, be a driver of sustainable innovation, productivity,...
Electronic products are a vital part of our daily lives. Particularly during the pandemic, we have needed the connectivity they bring more than ever before. However, our old electronics p...
Action on plastic pollution has been slowed considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic – but there’s a new emerging angle that could help rebuild momentum for the transition to a greener a...
