WT/CTE/W/249  
 
17 November 2020  
(20-8239) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Trade and Environment  Original: English  
 
 
COMMUNICATION ON TRADE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY  
Communication from  Australia; Canada; Chad; Chile; Costa Rica; European Union ; the Gambia;  
Fiji; Iceland ; Japan; Korea , Republic  of; Liechtenstein ; Maldives ; Mexico ; Moldova , Republic  of; 
Montenegro ; New Zealand; North  Macedonia; Norway; Senegal ; Switzerland; the Separate 
Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu ; and the United Kingdom  
_______________  
 
1. We, the following Members of the WTO: Australia; Canada; Chad; Chile; Costa Rica; European 
Union ; the Gambia; Fiji; Iceland ; Japan; Korea , Republic  of; Liechtenstein ; Maldives ; Mexico ; 
Moldova , Republic  of; Montenegro ; New Zealand; North  Macedonia; Norway; Senegal ; 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 (U NCCD), 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 Intergovernmen tal 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, circular global economy, need to support global efforts towards 
the achievem ent 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 , includ ing marine fisheries  and, land degradation, including deforestation and 
desertification; combat climate change and adapt to its effects; and promote more 
sustainable production and consumption, 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 advancing progress on the SDGs and other environmental objectives;  
 
(f) that t he 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 challenges, such as pandemics, climate risks and impacts, and wider econom ic and 
trade risks presented by environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and natural disasters;  
 
(g) the need for a sustainable and inclusive approach to trade that considers the legitimate 
development requirements of many WTO Members;  
 
(h) that environmental  sustainability should be one of the guiding principles of the wider reform 
of the WTO;  WT/CTE/W/249  
 
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(i) the current work on environmental issues in the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment 
(CTE) as well as other WTO regular Committees or Bodies where environment matter s 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 chan ge, fossil fuel 
subsidies reform, plastic pollution, combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing 
and ensuring legal and sustainable trade in wildlife , the conservation and sustainable use of 
biodiversity, the Blue economy and sustainable agricul ture 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 relevant 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 the multilateral trading system, including the 
WTO, in supporting the in ternational community's efforts towards achieving the SDGs and 
international environmental commitments through a forward -looking, focused, systematic 
and action -oriented dialogue.  
 
2. Therefore , express our intention to collaborate, prioritize and advance dis cussions 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 wi th 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 dialogue 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 discussions will organize regular meetings, with a first meeting early 2021. 
Participation will be open to all WTO Members.  The structured discussions intend to inform regula rly 
on their work, including at meetings of Heads of Delegations, the General Council 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 existin g 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 enviro nmental -sustainability initiative at the WTO.  
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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