Trade and environment at MC12: How can work at the WTO support a green and fair global economy?

The Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS), in collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), held a joint session on “Trade and environment at MC12: How can work at the WTO support a green and fair global economy?” on 30 September 2021, 15:00-16:00 CET,  WTO Public Forum 2021 “Trade Beyond COVID-19: Building Resilience.”

The purpose of the session was to spur forward-looking discussion on what governments can do at the multilateral level to ensure trade and trade policies advance progress on shared environmental goals, the SDGs, and a green recovery.  In particular, what specific environment deliverables could governments pursue at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference?

The session addressed the following questions:

• How could trade policy more proactively support the international community’s efforts to tackle the world’s triple environmental crises – of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss?
• What can governments do at the multilateral level to ensure trade and trade policies advance progress on shared environmental goals, the SDGs, and a green recovery?
• What are the opportunities in 2021, and what specific environment deliverables should governments pursue for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference?
• How can stakeholders support ambitious cooperation on environment and the SDGs in the multilateral trade setting?

Watch the session:

Speakers:

• Ms. Joyce MSUYA, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP
• Mr. Jean-Marie PAUGAM, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO)
• H.E. Mr. Stephen DE BOER, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Canada to the WTO
• H.E. Mr. José VALENCIA, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the WTO

Moderator: Dr. Carolyn DEERE BIRKBECK, Director, Forum on Trade, Environment and the SDGs (TESS)