G/TBT/GEN/364  
 
14 November 2023  
(23-7660) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade    
 
DDG PAUGAM'S REPORT TO THE TBT COMMITTEE  
COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE – 8-10 NOVEMBER  2023 
1.  Thank you, Madame Chair, for the opportunity to report to the TBT Committee today, on 
standards -related work of the WTO Secretariat for the upcoming UN climate conference, COP28, 
taking place next month in the UAE.  
2.  Building on the WTO Secretariat's previous contributions to the United Nations Climate Change 
Conferences, the WTO Secretariat's engagement at COP28 aims to spot light trade as an essential 
part of the solution to climate change. For the first time, the COP will include a dedicated "Trade 
Day" on 4 December. The Secretariat was invited by the UAE to co -lead the preparations for that 
day Together with other internat ional organizations.  The WTO will also host the first Trade House 
Pavilion with ICC, International Trade Centre (ITC), and UNCTAD.  
3.  Let me highlight one important initiative for COP28 which is close to the TBT Committee. With 
respect to iron and steel decar bonization standards, the WTO Secretariat, together with partners, 
will be presenting a document entitled the "Steel Standards Principles: Common emissions 
measurement methodologies to accelerate the transition to near zero". This follows up on the WTO's 
March 2023 Trade Forum for Decarbonization Standards, which I reported on to you at the June  2023 
TBT Committee.  
4.  The steel industry is responsible for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. One of the 
key messages from our Trade Forum was that the st eel industry needs coherent and interoperable 
methodologies to count carbon, to ensure a rapid and orderly near -zero transition, and minimize 
trade tensions. Stakeholders identified further work on aligning these methodologies as a 
"low-hanging fruit".  
5.  In response, the principles document was developed by a group of partners including IEA, UNIDO, 
and the World Steel Association, with support from the WTO Secretariat. The principles signal a 
commitment to collaboration and coordination across the internation al landscape of standards bodies 
and initiatives, to work towards coherent and interoperable methodologies for measuring and 
verifying GHG emissions in steel products and production and accelerate decarbonization of the steel 
industry. They recognize the f act that there will be a continued need for regional and national 
diversity, but that interoperability should be achieved when it comes to how we count carbon.  
6.  The UAE has put steel decarbonization high on the agenda. The COP28 Presidency is calling for 
countries and companies in heavy emitting sectors, including steel, to accelerate their 
decarbonization activities. The principles document is being presented at COP28 in support of this 
UAE priority.  The convening role of the WTO Secretariat has been apprec iated by partners, and the 
UAE, to bring this work forward to the COP.  
7.  The principles document refers to the TBT Agreement. It highlights the TBT Agreement Code of 
Good Practice, and the TBT Committee 's Six Principles, as a basis for promoting alignment an d 
coherence of standards. Steel industry stakeholders have emphasized the value of these TBT rules 
and principles and see this as an opportunity to elevate them in support of their decarbonization 
efforts.  
8.  A growing number of leading standards bodies and s teel industry associations have announced 
their endorsement of the principles. Other organizations and bodies are welcome endorse the 
principles, and in case of interest, they can contact the Secretariat team for more information.  G/TBT/GEN/364  
 
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  9.  The principles will be la unched at COP28 during a dedicated event at the Trade House Pavilion, 
taking place on 5 December.  
10.  All of WTO's activities for COP28 and Trade House Pavilion, as well those of our partners will be 
posted on a dedicated webpage on the WTO website. Some of th ese events will be livestreamed and 
could be of interest to you. I encourage you to take a look and join, if you can.   
11.  Thank you for your interest in our work for COP28. I look forward to any feedback or questions 
from Members. Thank you, this brings me to  the end of my update.  
 
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  G/TBT/GEN/364  
 
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  ANNEX  
STEEL STANDARDS PRINCIPLES – COMMON EMISSIONS MEASUREMENT  
METHODOLOGIES TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSITION TO NEAR ZERO  
We, the endorsing organizations and stakeholders, on the occasion of COP28,  
• Recognize  that the iron and steel sector accounts for approximately 8% of annual global 
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including methane, today and these emissions will  need to be 
reduced by at least 90% for the sector to play a credible role in achieving  a net zero energy 
system and wider economy whilst ensuring equity and a just transition, reflective of different 
countries ' circumstances;   
• Recognize  the importance of world trade in steel, representing nearly 25% of global steel 
production for finished and semi -finished steel products in 2022, and that divergent, fragmented, 
and incompatible standards and methodologies for measuring GHG emissions can lead to trade 
and supply chain disruptions, market uncertainty and consumer confusion, increasing the costs 
of decarbonizing steel production;   
• Recognize  that improvements in transparency, interoperability, and mutual recognition of 
methodologies for measu ring GHG emissions, including methane, in iron and steel production 
and products can promote investment in, and adoption of, innovative near zero emission 
technologies and near -zero steel products, and ease trade frictions;  
• Recognize  that different method ologies may be needed at the project, production, and product 
levels, but that interoperability between them will drive faster decarbonization of the steel 
industry globally;  
• Recognize  the importance of independent verification of the resulting data from the use of such 
measurement methodologies;   
• Recognize  the role of existing initiatives to drive decarbonization in the iron and steel sector 
and the need for greater alignment of the methodologies for comprehensively measuring 
greenhouse gas emissions that  underpin these initiatives.   
In light of these considerations, we endorse the following principles:  
• Collaborative and constructive dialogue is needed across developed and developing countries 
among governments, steel producers and their suppliers, indust ry associations, initiatives, 
policymakers, and civil society, to refine the existing emissions standards landscape for steel. 
Dialogue should follow inclusive, open, and transparent processes that ensures broad 
representation, market relevance and sharing  of good practices.  
• GHG emissions measurement standards and methodologies, data collection and disclosure 
frameworks, at the project, production, and product level, should be interoperable, enable 
mutual recognition, build on existing international standards,  avoid duplication,  and be coupled 
with increased data reporting to improve transparency and global tracking of emissions.  
• Emission measurement standards for steel products and production should drive the 
decarbonization of the glo bal steel industry through performance -based measures that are 
technology agnostic.  
• Standards should be consistent with the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement Code 
of Good Practice and the TBT Committee's Six Principles for the Development of  International 
Standards, Guides and Recommendations (transparency, openness, impartiality and consensus, 
effectiveness and relevance, coherence, and the development dimension).1  
 
1 See Decisions and Recommendations Adopted by the WTO Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade 
since 1 January 1995 , WTO document G/TBT/1/Rev.15 , 15 November 2022. See:  
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tbt_e/principles_standards_tbt_e.htm   G/TBT/GEN/364  
 
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  • Standards should be consistent with the IEA "Net Zero Principles" for emiss ions measurement 
and data collection in efforts to align and achieve interoperability between existing standards, 
methodologies, and frameworks, and those under development.2 
• A common understanding of existing and emerging definitions for near -zero emissi ons steel 
production is needed.  
• We endeavor to meet at least annually to review progress against these principles and encourage 
other organizations to adhere to these principles.  
 
Endorsed by:  
  
 
 
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2 International Energy Agency (IEA) (2022). Emissions Measurement and Data Collection for a Net Zero 
Steel Industry , Paris: IEA