Environnement
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Trade and Environment
In order to ensure transparency and to keep abreast of trade policies in support of sustainability the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) mandated the WTO Secretariat to compile and collate all environment-related measures notified to WTO. The database also includes environment-related entries found in Trade Policy Reviews (TPRs).
How do natural disasters affect services trade?
This paper is the first in the literature to examine the impact of natural disasters on trade in services. We measure the magnitude of natural disasters using two distinct sets of variables and quantify the effect of natural disasters on trade in services using a structural gravity model.
The economic dimension of trade in the SDGs
Trade can play an important role in boosting economic growth and supporting poverty reduction. The increased market access opportunities it offers can help countries create jobs improve incomes and attract investments. The SDGs put significant emphasis on the role that trade plays in promoting sustainable development and recognize the contribution that the WTO can make to the 2030 Agenda.
Mainstreaming trade to expand economic opportunities for poverty reduction
The United Nations General Assembly formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at a summit held in New York from 25 to 27 September 2015 which was attended by some 150 heads of state and government.
Executive summary
The WTO is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which set targets to be achieved by 2030 in areas such as poverty reduction health education and the environment. The SDGs put significant emphasis on the role that trade plays in promoting sustainable development and recognize the contribution that the WTO can make to the 2030 Agenda.
The environmental dimension of trade in the SDGs
Achieving better economic growth and better environmental outcomes is an indispensable condition for achieving the SDGs. If economic growth continues along its current environmentally unsustainable trajectory the world risks compromising the prospects for future growth and human well-being and even undoing much of the progress made on both fronts during the past 50 years according to an OECD study. Forests wetlands and other forms of “natural capital” which make up almost 40% of the total wealth in developing and least-developed countries are under increased pressure due to air water and soil pollution along with rising greenhouse gas emissions says a recent World Bank report.
Emerging issues requiring the attention of the international community
Over the past 20 years international trade has undergone major changes. One main factor leading to these changes has been the unprecedented pace of technological innovation which is transforming the traditional way of conducting trade. Supported by increasingly fast and efficient technology e-commerce has been growing at significant rates. While global trade growth continues to be slow e-commerce was valued at US$ 22.1 trillion in 2015 a 38% increase from 2013.
Mainstreaming Trade to Attain the Sustainable Development Goals
The WTO is central to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which set targets to be achieved by 2030 in areas such as poverty reduction health education and the environment. The SDGs put significant emphasis on the role that trade plays in promoting sustainable development and recognize the contribution that the WTO can make to the 2030 Agenda. By delivering and implementing trade reforms which are pro-growth and pro-development and by continuing to foster stable predictable and equitable trading relations across the world the WTO will play an important role in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals just as it did with the Millennium Development Goals before them. This report identifies steps which would help to ensure that international trade contributes to accelerating progress in achieving the SDGs
The social dimension of trade in the SDGs
Trade plays a critical role in addressing hunger food security nutrition and sustainable agriculture contributing to healthy lives and wellbeing employment and growth.
Connecting the dots: Environmental sustainability, economic prosperity and resilience
Samba Lahy vividly recalls the time when as a young man he used to go fishing with his parents off the coast of Tampolove one of the fishing villages dotting the southwest coast of Madagascar. Every time his family returned from the sea their long and narrow canoe would be filled to the brim with fish. But things have changed. Samba now with a family of his own has seen his catches dwindle. As a result like others in Tampolove he can no longer rely on fishing as his main source of income.
Building partnerships for trade, environment and prosperity
The world today is more interconnected than ever before. The sheer scale and scope of global value chains have created a new landscape for business and trade influencing how and where goods and services are produced and consumed. Countries are much more linked to one another and developing countries are playing an increasing role in international trade. In parallel the frequency and intensity of climate change and climate-related natural disasters has intensified at times causing disruptions to production networks.
Executive summary
The world is much more interconnected than ever before. The rise of production networks across countries has transformed the trade and business landscape influencing how and where goods and services are produced and consumed. Many developing countries are playing an increasing role in international trade but others remain excluded due to lack of financial resources knowledge and infrastructure.
Maximizing opportunities for cooperation on trade and environment
When a group of countries set about rebuilding the global trading system after World War II they were guided by the principle of multilateral trade cooperation as an effective way to avoid mutually defeating trade policies and to help build lasting peace. A key outcome was the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) — the WTO’s predecessor.
Foreword
During the past few decades trade has powered huge advances in economic development around the world. As the world economy has grown however so too have environmental challenges which in turn risk undermining wellbeing development health and economic growth itself.
Expanding the contribution of trade to global prosperity and a healthy environment
The world economy has changed profoundly over the past 60 years. The world’s population has more than doubled to 7.6 billion today from around 3 billion in 1960 while average income has almost tripled. During this period the world economy has become ever more integrated due to advances in communication and information technologies along with lower barriers to global trade and investment. These developments have made it possible for companies to co-ordinate complex activities at a distance cheaply and safely.
Making Trade Work for the Environment, Prosperity and Resilience
International trade offers unique opportunities to help tackle mounting environmental challenges while fostering economic and social prosperity. This new co-publication by the World Trade Organization and UN Environment illustrates how trade can support action by governments companies innovators and consumers to improve economies and protect the environment at the same time.
Typology of Environment-Related Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements
The last 25 years have witnessed a rapid increase in regional trade agreements (RTAs). Although RTAs generally aim at lowering tariff and non-tariff trade barriers an increasing number of trade agreements extend their scope to cover specific policy areas such as environmental protection and sustainable development. This paper establishes a comprehensive typology and quantitative analysis of environment-related provisions included in RTAs. The analysis covers all the RTAs currently into force that have been notified to the WTO between 1957 and May 2016 namely 270 trade agreements. While environmental exceptions along with environmental cooperation continue to be the most common types of environment-related provisions many other different types of provisions are incorporated in an increasing number of RTAs. The common feature of all environment-related provisions including environmental exceptions is their heterogeneity in terms of structure language and scope.
CITES and the WTO
This publication illustrates how the relationship between CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and the WTO has evolved into a leading example of how global trade and environmental regimes can support each other to achieve shared objectives.