Environmental Goods Negotiations

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the ongoing WTO negotiations on environmental goods. It argues that current lists of goods for liberalization are dominated by developed countries and proposes including environmentally preferable products (EPPs) and implementing Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) to ensure a balanced distribution of trade gains for developing nations.

• Current proposals for the identification of environmental goods are dominated by developed countries, who account for 79 per cent of exports based on the APEC list, while developing countries account for about 20 per cent and least developed countries for less than one per cent.
• The author suggests that to balance trade gains, the scope of environmental goods should be extended to include environmentally preferable products (EPPs) of export interest to developing countries, such as non-timber forest products and natural fibre products.
• Non-timber forest products (NTFPs), specifically bamboo and rattan, are identified as key export interests. Bamboo is a critical raw material for pulp and paper industries in China, India, and Thailand, while the global trade and subsistence value of rattan and its products is estimated at US$6,500 million.
• Natural fibre products like jute and coir are proposed as biodegradable substitutes for environmental pollutants. Jute production is concentrated in India (63 per cent) and Bangladesh (29 per cent).
• Biofuels, particularly ethanol and biodiesel, are identified as competitive products for developing countries. Ethanol is a major export for several Central American countries, including Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, and Nicaragua.
• To make the negotiating package acceptable to developing countries, the paper recommends Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) provisions, such as delayed compliance periods for tariff cuts and less-than-full reciprocity for least-developed members.
• China has proposed a two-list approach consisting of a 'Common List' for consensus goods and a 'Developmental List' for exemptions to protect infant industries, though the author argues this may be too complex to implement pragmatically.

APA

Singh, S. (2005). Environmental Goods Negotiations. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environmental_goods.pdf

Chicago

Singh, Sandeep. Environmental Goods Negotiations. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2005. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environmental_goods.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Singh |first1=Sandeep |title=Environmental Goods Negotiations |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2005 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environmental_goods.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{singh2005environmental, author = {Singh, Sandeep}, title = {{Environmental Goods Negotiations}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2005}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/trade_environmental_goods.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }