21. World Trade Organization (WTO)

Abstract

In 2016, there were intensive meetings and workshops to discuss the link between trade and climate change, waste management, standard harmonization, and environmental goods among the WTO members. The meeting of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) was held in November to discuss trade and environment issues, such as climate change and management of chemicals and waste, particularly from discarded electronics. In regard to climate change, most countries agreed that trade has an important role to play in addressing climate change and helping countries meet their commitments to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Thus, some WTO members wanted to discuss this issue in the CTE since they sought to deepen members’ understanding of trade policy’s potential contribution to addressing climate change. Several members, however, mentioned that this issue should be left to other fora even though they also agreed on the importance of enhancing understanding of the links between the fora. In regard to chemicals and waste management, with a focus on ‘e-waste’ from electronic equipment, several international organizations such as the Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization shared their work on the sustainable management of e-waste and the main obstacles to managing e-waste in an environmental friendly way, particularly for developing countries.