IISD Trade and Sustainability Review, Volume 3, Issue 2, April 2023
This issue of the IISD Trade and Sustainability Review spans a range of trade topics, including the impact of artificial intelligence, trade as both a cause and solution to climate change, the economic trends of agricultural fertilizers, and strategies to foster cooperation between trade and sustainable agriculture.
Articles
Fostering Cooperation on Sustainable Agriculture and Trade at the WTO
Christophe Bellmann
There is a growing need to provide agriculture and trade solutions for the sustainability challenges that lie ahead. Christophe Bellmann, Head of Policy Analysis and Strategy at the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs, provides strategies for the World Trade Organization to increase cooperation in this area.
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Trade Ministers’ Coalition Seeks to Put Climate Action at the Heart of Global Trade Policies
Carolyn Deere Birkbeck
A new Coalition of Trade Ministers on Climate brings together 56 trade ministers to facilitate international cooperation on trade and climate. Carolyn Deere Birkbeck, founder and director of the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs, overviews the key principles of the coalition and emphasizes the importance of collaboration and strong political leadership.
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PPMs Are Back: The rise of new sustainability-oriented trade policies based on process and production methods
Andreas Oeschger and Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi
A “new generation” of sustainability-oriented trade policies based on process and production methods (PPMs) has emerged. Andreas Oeschger, Junior Policy Analyst at IISD, and Elisabeth Bürgi Bonanomi, Head of the Sustainability Governance Impact Area at the University of Bern, review these methods and contextualize them based on examples of recently introduced PPM-based trade measures.
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WTO’s Ossa: Trade is both a cause of and solution to climate change
Jennifer Freedman
Trade can have increasingly negative impacts on the environment and climate change. However, trade policy with the right incentives can also provide solutions to these challenges. Jennifer Freedman, managing editor of IISD’s Trade and Sustainability Review, interviews the WTO’s chief economist, Ralph Ossa, to discuss these details.
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International Trade and Artificial Intelligence: Is trade policy ready for Chat GPT?
Pascal Krummenacher
Artificial intelligence poses challenges to varying degrees in the world of trade policy. Pascal Krummenacher, trade policy professional and former project officer at the World Trade Organization, points to where trade policy fails to address these issues and how the WTO must respond.
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WTO Members Should Avoid Export Restrictions on Fertilizers to Deliver on Food Security
Facundo Calvo
The recent economic shocks to the fertilizer industry have put increasing pressure on importing countries. Facundo Calvo, policy analyst at IISD, provides insights on how to facilitate fertilizer trade so World Trade Organization members can deliver on food security.
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Avoiding Trade Concerns in the Design of Plastic Pollution Measures
IISD provides insights on aspects of WTO members' plastics that have created friction with trading partners and suggests recommendations for the adoption of such policies in the future.
WTO Joint Initiative on E-Commerce State of Play
A finalized legal text of the e-commerce joint statement initiative agreement may be within reach: this report provides an overview of how close the participants are to the finish line and what remains to be agreed on.
Securing India's Copper Supply
This policy brief emphasizes the need for India to develop a comprehensive copper strategy.
Why Liquefied Natural Gas Expansion in Canada Is Not Worth the Risk
An analysis of the economic and environmental risks of liquified natural gas expansion in Canada.