INF/TE/SSD/CN/8  
 
6 May 2022 
(22-3573) Page: 1/3 
  Original: English  
 
TRADE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY STRUCTURED DISCUSSIONS (TESSD)  
CONVENING NOTICE  
The following Convening Notice , dated 6 May 2022, is being circulated at the request of the  TESSD 
Coordinators and Facilitators.  
 
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TESSD will hold meeting s of its Informal Working Groups on: 
 
• 17 and 18 May  2022 from 10:00 to 1 8:00 (Geneva/CE ST). 
 
In keeping with TESSD's open, transparent and inclusive nature, all WTO Members are invited to 
attend and are encouraged t o participate in the meeting.  
 
The meeting will be held in hybrid form, allowing for in-person  participation in Room E and virtual  
participation via the Zoom  platform. Delegates wishing to participate virtually via the Zoom platform , 
including capital -based officials, should register through the following link:  
 
https://worldtradeorganization.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qc -ihrDMsEtIWkyVpN zpdf7SCwVGl -
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To guid e the discussions in the meeting, the Facilitators  propose the following agenda : 
 
1  Introductory remarks by the TESSD Coordinators  (Canada and Costa Rica)  
2  Working Group on Environmental Goods and Services ( 10:00-13:00, Tuesday , 17 May ) 
2.1.  Introductory remarks by the Facilitators  (Carlos Guevara, Ecuador and Helga Helland, Norway) .  
Members' priorities  regarding  environment and climate goals   
2.2.  Members are invited to respond to the following question s (written replies after the meeting 
are also welcome) : 
• What are Members' priorities in terms of objectives and sectors to be discussed in the 
Working Group?  
• How can trade in environmental goods and services aid in achieving environment and 
climate goals ? (Guiding question in TESSD Work Plan  2022 (INF/TE/SSD/W/17/Rev.1 ) 
Objective and sector example: climate mitigation and renewable energy  
2.3.  Presentation by the International Renewable Energy Agency  (IRENA ) on trade -related 
challenges and opportunities  for developing countries in the renewable energy sector to achieve 
climate objectives . 
2.4.  Exchange of views by Members.  Members are invited to react to the presentation and share 
their experiences with regard to challenges and opportunities  of trade in environmental goods and INF/TE/SSD/CN/8  
 
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  services  by respond ing to the following two questions in relation to climate mitigation and the 
renewable energy sector (written replies after the meeting are also welcome) : 
• What are importan t considerations regarding supply chains, technology, services, and 
technical and regulatory  elements ?  
• What challenges and policies impede the ability of developing countries and LDCs to 
engage in and maximi ze benefits from trade in environmental goods and services and ho w 
can these be addressed?  
Interventions by stakeholders . 
2.6.  Concluding remarks by the  Facilitators . 
3  Working Group on Trade -related Climate Measures  (15:00 -18:00,  Tuesday , 17 May)  
Introductory remarks by the Facilitators  (Jean -Marie Meraldi, Switzerland and Göksu Tülümen, 
Turkey) . 
3.2.  Presentation by the World Bank  on measuring carbon pricing and carbon content of production 
and transport.  
3.3.  Exchange of views by Members. Members are invited to react to the presentation and  the 
discussion paper by the United States on Climate Change – Circular Economy (INF/TE/SSD/W/19) .1 
Members are also invited to reply to the following question based on the Work Plan  2022 (written 
replies after the meeting are also welcome) : 
• What trade -relate d climate measures and policies , including regulatory requirements,  are 
Members pursuing , and what are related objectives, design characteristics , and potential 
trade implications?  
3.4.  Presentation by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization  (UNIDO) on the 
Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI), and the challenges  and opportunities for  
developing countries in decarbonizing their manufacturing industry and participating in low -carbon 
markets.  
3.5.  Exchange of views by Members. Members are inv ited to react to the presentation and respond 
to the following question based on the Work Plan (written replies after the meeting are also 
welcome) : 
• What are the challenges facing MSMEs globally , and for developing countries, with regard 
to the design and use of trade -related climate measures and policies, and how can these 
be addressed?  
Interventions by stakeholders . 
Concluding remarks by the Facilitators . 
4  Working  Group on Circular Economy – Circularity (10 :00-13:00, Wednesday , 18 May) 
4.1.  Introductory remarks by the Facilitators  (Olivia Cook , Chile and Kaz unari Morii, Japan) . 
4.2.  Presentation s by the International Chamber of Commerce ( ICC) and representatives of IKEA, 
Mercedes Benz Group , Ragn-Sells and TrashCon . The presentation s will provide a business 
perspective on opportunities and challenges with regard to trade -related aspects of the circular 
economy.   
 
1 The submission also relates to the Working Groups on Environmental Goods and Services and Circular 
Economy – Circularity . INF/TE/SSD/CN/8  
 
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  4.3.  Presentation by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on possible vertical and horizontal 
approaches for circular trade. The presen tation will discuss trade -related challenges and possible 
solutions for improving e -waste recycling, as well as what trade policy can more broadly do to 
support the momentum towards a global circular economy.  
4.4.  Reactions to the presentations. Members are in vited to react to the presentations and discuss  
challenges and opportunities of business es in the respective sectors.  
4.5.  Exchange of views by Members. Members are invited to reply to the following question based 
on the Work Plan (written replies after the mee ting are also welcome) : 
• What are Members' experiences and lessons learned from efforts to advance circular 
economy goals (including reducing unsustainable resource use, promoting resource 
efficiency, sustainability and safety across product lifecycles, res toring and regenerating 
ecosystems , and minimi zing waste) and the opportunities and challenges linked to trade 
and trade policies?  (Indications of specific sectors/trade -related issues of Members' 
interests and expected outcomes are welcome.)  
Interventions  by stakeholders . 
Concluding remarks by the  Facilitators . 
5  Working Group on Subsidies  (15:00-18:00, Wednesday , 18 May) 
5.1.  Introductory remarks by the Facilitator  (Sveinn K. Einarsson , Iceland ). This meeting  will focus 
on the first two guiding questions in the Work Plan in the context of fossil fuel subsidies (FFS) and 
agricultural subsidies. Other subsidies will be covered in future meetings.  
5.2.  Presentation by the Organisation for Economic Co -operation and Develop ment (OECD ). The 
presentation will give an overview of the OECD Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels , 
methodologies for evaluating FFS, as well as existing information and information gaps relating to 
FFS.  
5.3.  Presentation by the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ). The presentation will give 
an overview of the joint UNEP -FAO-UNDB report (A Multi -Billion -Dollar Opportunity: Repurposing 
agricultural support to transform food systems) on agricultural support measures in the context of 
environmental sustainability.  
5.4.  Exchange of views by Members. Members are invited to share their experiences on monitoring 
of subsidies and respond  to the following questions based on the Work Plan (written replies after the 
meeting are also welcome) :  
• How can the environmental effects and trade impacts of relevant subsidies be identified?  
• What information  exists to better understand these impacts and where are there 
information gaps?  
Interventions by stakeholders . 
Concluding remarks by the  Facilitator . 
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