WT/CTE/W/249/Rev.2  
 
29 September 2021  
(21-7298) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Environment  Original: English  
 
 
COMMUNICATION ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY  
Communication from  Albania; A ustralia; Canada; Chad; Chile; Costa Rica; European Union ; 
the Gambia;  Fiji; Iceland ; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea , Republic  of; Liechtenstein ; Maldives ; Mexico ; 
Moldova , Republic  of; Montenegro ; New Zealand; North  Macedonia; Norway; Senegal ; Singapore; 
Switzerland; the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu ;  
and the United Kingdom  
Revision  
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1. We, the following Members of the WTO: A lbania; A ustralia; Canada; Chad; Chile; Costa Rica; 
European Union ; the Gambia; Fiji; Iceland ; Japan; Kazakhstan; Korea , Republic  of; Liechtenstein ; 
Maldives ; Mexico ; Moldova , Republic  of; Montenegro ; New Zealand; North  Macedonia; Norway; 
Senegal ; Singapore ; Switzerland; the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and 
Matsu ; and  the United Kingdom  note:  
(a) the importance of multilateral environmental agreements, including the United Nations 
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations Convention to 
Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered 
Species to Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Paris Agreement and the Convention on 
Biological Diversity (CBD), among others;  
 
(b) there is an urgent need for action as highlighted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change (IPCC), the Intergovernmental Science -policy Platform on Biodiversity and 
Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) and the International 
Resource Panel (IRP) ; 
 
(c) that trade and environmental objectives and policies should be mutually supportive;  
 
(d) that international trade and trade policy, as key enablers of the transition towards a climate 
neutral, resource efficient, circul ar global economy, need to support global efforts towards 
the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals  (SDGs) and international 
environmental commitments, including efforts to reduce pollution; promote conservation, 
sustainable use and restoration of biodiversity; prevent overexploitation of natural 
resources , including marine fisheries  and, land degradation, including deforestation and 
desertification; combat climate change and adapt to its effects; and promote more 
sustainable production and consu mption, taking into account the importance of a just 
transition;  
 
(e) the human and social cost of the COVID -19 pandemic, its financial and other impacts on the 
global economy and trade, and the importance of ensuring an economic recovery compatible 
with advan cing progress on the SDGs and other environmental objectives;  
 
(f) that the COVID -19 crisis has demonstrated the need to diversify and strengthen the 
resilience and sustainability of global supply chains to ensure stability of trade in the face of 
global chal lenges, such as pandemics, climate risks and impacts, and wider economic and 
trade risks presented by environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and natural disasters;  
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  (g) the need for a sustainable and inclusive approach to trade that considers the legiti mate 
development requirements of many WTO Members;  
 
(h) that environmental sustainability should be one of the guiding principles of the wider reform 
of the WTO;  
 
(i) the current work on environmental issues in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment 
(CTE) as w ell as other WTO regular Committees or Bodies where environment matters arise;  
 
(j) the recent and current efforts by a diversity of WTO Members to address and promote 
dialogue and information sharing at the WTO on issues where trade and environment policy 
intersect, including on circular economy, natural disasters, climate change, fossil fuel 
subsidies reform, plastic pollution, combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing 
and ensuring legal and sustainable trade in wildlife , the conservation and sus tainable use of 
biodiversity, the Blue economy and sustainable agriculture as well as trade in environmental 
goods and services;  
 
(k) the efforts, ranging from public -private partnerships to corporate social responsibility 
initiatives, by a diversity of relev ant stakeholders, such as business and civil society 
organisations, on trade and environmental sustainability and the importance of creating and 
deepening dialogues between WTO members and these actors; and  
 
(l) the important role of trade, trade policy and th e multilateral trading system, including the 
WTO, in supporting the international community's efforts towards achieving the SDGs and 
international environmental commitments through a forward -looking, focused, systematic 
and action -oriented dialogue.  
 
2. There fore, express our intention to collaborate, prioritize and advance discussions on trade 
and environmental sustainability, including by :  
- intensifying our work to share experiences and best practices; promote transparency, 
dialogue and information sharing along the full value chain of products and materials;  
  
- strengthening coherence at the national and international level with a view to identifying 
areas of common interest and for future work within the WTO, in order for WTO to address 
more effectively sustainable development issues;  
 
- working in cooperation with relevant international organizations and relevant actors, 
including the private sector, to identify and support technical assistance and capacity 
building needs of Members, and in particular least -developed countries (LDCs).  
 
- working on possible actions and deliverables of environmental sustainability in the various 
areas of the WTO.  
 
3. We therefore intend to organise structured discussions for interested WTO Members as well 
as a dialogue with external stakeholders. This work is intended to complement and support the work 
of the CTE and other relevant WTO Committees and Bodies.  
4. The dialo gue with external stakeholders, including the business community, civil society, 
international organizations, and academic institutions is intended to bring their expertise and 
experience to the table in order to better inform discussion.  
5. The structured di scussions will organize regular meetings, with a first meeting early 2021. 
Participation will be open to all WTO Members.  The structured discussions intend to inform regularly 
on their work, including at meetings of Heads of Delegations, the General Counci l and the CTE.  
6. The structured discussions are not meant to duplicate other initiatives in the WTO, or indeed 
any other international or global initiative as well as existing WTO agreements and mandates.  
7. We encourage all WTO Members to join our open effort to enhance environmental 
sustainability in international trade and actively participate in this work. Nothing  in this 
communication compels any supporter to join any environmental -sustainability initiative at the WTO.  WT/CTE/W/249/Rev.2  
 
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  8. The structured discussions intend to report to Ministers no later than the 12th Ministerial 
Conference and, where appropriate, propose concrete deliverables, initiatives and next steps.  
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