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This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines trade-related considerations within the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process to develop a legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution. It analyzes how proposed treaty obligations—such as restrictions on certain plastics and waste trade controls—intersect with international trade law, the risk of protectionism, and the implementation capacities of developing nations.

This report examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in facilitating the transition to a global circular economy to address the 'triple planetary crisis'. It analyzes current trade measures, identifies a disproportionate focus on end-of-life waste management over upstream resource reduction, and proposes a framework for regulatory alignment and mutual recognition of circular goods and services to prevent market fragmentation and 'circular resource nationalism'.

A statement by Marco Lambertini, Convenor of the Nature Positive Initiative, arguing for the integration of biodiversity and nature-positive goals into international trade policies, specifically through the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This white paper examines the barriers to business adaptation and the role of public policy in mitigating transboundary climate risks to the European Union's international trade and supply chains.

This policy brief, produced by CIEL and IUCN, examines the compatibility of a proposed international treaty to end plastic pollution with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It highlights how the international trade of plastic feedstocks, polymers, and waste accelerates the plastic crisis and serves as a mechanism for spreading micro- and nanoplastic pollution.

This policy brief examines climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts within ASEAN member states, specifically focusing on the agriculture, energy, and land-use, land-use change, and forestry sectors. It explores how international trade cooperation and trade-related policies can support these regional efforts and aims to provide a bottom-up, developing country perspective to counter the dominance of advanced economies in global trade and climate discussions at the WTO and other international settings.

A commentary by members of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) urging the Swedish government to use its presidency of the Council of the EU in 2023 to increase the European Union's sustainability ambitions and lead on the European Green Deal.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines transboundary climate risks to Sweden's international trade, arguing that traditional analysis overlooks hidden vulnerabilities in deeper supply chain tiers, specifically regarding inputs from Asia, Africa, and soy production in Brazil.

This policy brief, based on a quantitative assessment of six key agricultural commodities, argues that transboundary climate risks to global food security are mounting and largely unrecognized, necessitating a shift from national self-interest toward cooperative multilateral adaptation strategies.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development explores the intersection of circular economy solutions and international trade policies to support global decarbonization. It argues that transitioning from primary to secondary materials and extending product lifespans are essential for meeting Paris Agreement goals, as resource extraction and processing account for half of global greenhouse gas emissions. The authors advocate for the removal of trade barriers to circular goods and services and the use of bilateral and regional trade agreements to establish standards for low-carbon circularity.

This report examines the intersection of geopolitics and food security, arguing that achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) requires an understanding of how geopolitical challenges—including unilateralism and zero-sum security approaches—hinder efforts to eradicate hunger.

This report analyzes the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in international trade and explores whether shifting production to lower-intensity regions could reduce global emissions. Using MRIO models and IEA data, the authors find significant variations in GHG intensity for products like clothing (up to a factor of five) and steel. Specifically, Brazil and Turkey are highlighted as low-intensity steel producers due to their energy mixes and technologies. While shifting production to regions with better access to low-GHG energy (such as the Americas for steel) offers potential benefits, the report notes that implementing trade policies to steer these flows is complicated by WTO laws and administrative challenges.

This case study examines the role of ecolabelling and environmental standards in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and the wider ASEAN region, highlighting how these tools often act as trade barriers for developing countries due to high implementation costs and a lack of domestic environmental consciousness.

This report provides a stylized review of the relationships between biomass, livelihoods, and international trade, focusing specifically on the trade and technical cooperation axis between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

This report, published by the Socialist Group in the European Parliament and featuring contributions from the Center for International Environmental Law and Friends of the Earth, examines the tensions and potential synergies between international trade policies and climate change mitigation. It argues that while the current trade regime often promotes unsustainable consumption and production, trade can be leveraged to support climate goals through the liberalization of environmental goods, the implementation of high energy-efficiency standards, and the alignment of WTO rules with international climate agreements.

This research paper by Mark Halle examines the failures of the current multilateral trading system and proposes how it could be restructured to support a 'Great Transition' toward sustainable development. The author argues that while the fundamental principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are sound, the system has become a 'one size fits all' model that primarily benefits rich nations and ignores social and environmental goals. The paper explores three future archetypes—Agoria, Ecodemia, and Arcadia—demonstrating that a rules-based trading system can be adapted to serve any of these diverse socio-economic models if trade is treated as a tool for sustainable development rather than an end in itself.

This IISD briefing note analyzes the results of the negotiations for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which concluded in Montreal in January 2000. The document examines the Protocol's scope, its operationalization of the precautionary principle, its complex relationship with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, and the positions of the five major negotiating blocs.

This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law argues against the inclusion of a "supremacy clause" in the draft Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Convention. The author contends that such a clause, which suggests the convention will not affect rights and obligations under existing international agreements, would effectively subordinate environmental goals to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermine the ability of nations to implement trade-related environmental measures.

This memorandum examines the conflicts between free trade policies, which aim for efficient resource allocation by markets, and environmental policies, which aim to manage and maintain the earth's resources. It specifically analyzes the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and other trade agreements to identify frictions with international environmental agreements and domestic laws, seeking options to reconcile these legal relationships.

This research paper, prepared by Matthew Stilwell for the Center for International Environmental Law and published by the World Wide Fund for Nature in October 1999, proposes the use of the Expert Panel on Trade and Sustainable Development (EPTSD) Framework to reconcile conflicts between international trade, environment, and development policies. Using the WTO Shrimp-Turtle dispute and the potential US-EU GMO labelling conflict as case studies, the paper argues that formal WTO dispute settlement is often too adversarial to resolve underlying environmental and development issues. It advocates for a staged process of dispute prevention—moving from international cooperation and consultation to third-party assisted mediation before resorting to binding arbitration—to promote policy coherence and sustainable development.