Green Trade Policies and Agreements towards inclusive Green Economies with Sustainable Consumption and Production
Global Trade can play a Key Role
Currently, global trade acts as an amplifier to the triple planetary crises of climate instability, nature loss, and rising pollution. However, trade can contribute to sustainable development if trade policies align with environmental and social policies. The shift to sustainable production and consumption patterns creates new opportunities for environmental goods, services, and technologies - all necessary to meet the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. Yet, many countries lack the capacity to use trade as a vehicle for achieving sustainable development. View Inger Andersen, UNEP’s executive director, about how trade could contribute to sustainability.
The role of the UNEP Environment & Trade Hub
The Hub serves as the delivery mechanism for UNEP's work on trade. The objective is to green trade by engaging at the global, national and private sector level. To achieve this the Hub works on greening global production and consumption by focusing on enhancing the design and sustainability standards of the value chains of key sectors, and facilitating market access for sustainable products. The Hub works with WTO members to green the multilateral trade agenda by pushing for the reform of harmful subsidies, liberalizing trade in environmental goods and services and by echoing the perspectives of developing country members. The Hub also works on cross-cutting topics, like trade and export finance, and it advises member states on the trade and environment nexus. More about our Key Messages and how to contact us in our Fact File.
The Environment & Trade Hub works across key areas:
1. Greening global Value Chains of Key Sectors
a. Focus Area: Food and Agricultural Commodities Value Chains
GCRF TRADE Hub: Greening trade in wildlife, wild meat, and food and agricultural goods
Trade in natural and agricultural goods is a key part of economic growth. Removing too many wild animals or plants can cause populations to decline and ultimately crash. Clearing land for crops removes essential habitat for wildlife and threatens water, air and soil resources. The UKRI GCRF Trade, Development and the Environment Hub aims to make trade sustainable for people and the planet (Introduction movie). With over 50 organizations from 15 countries, this five-year project is led by UNEP-WCMC. The project investigates trade in wildlife, wild meat and agricultural goods worldwide from their origins in Brazil, Central Africa, China, Indonesia and Tanzania. Together with policymakers and IO's, UNEP's Environment & Trade Hub contributes to the project by catalyzing public policy responses to greening international trade in agricultural goods.
Link to resources of Food and Agricultural Commodities.
b. Other key global Value Chains: