IISD Economies

Lead markets for green steel or low-carbon cement don’t emerge on their own — they need clear, reliable demand.  With roughly €2 trillion in public contracts awarded each year, the EU has a powerful tool to create this demand in support of clean industrial development. However, as long as procurement still defaults to lowest-cost bids, it leaves innovative, low-carbon producers competing with cheaper, higher-emission alternatives. It’s no surprise that public procurement has now become a political priority. In recent months, President von der Leyen and several Commissioners have highlighted its strategic importance — from boosting clean manufacturing to strengthening European competitiveness and resilience.  As the EU revises its procurement directive, there is a rare opportunity to make public spending a true driver of climate action, industrial innovation, and better value for citizens. In a new Project Syndicate op-ed, International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Alliance for Low-Carbon Cement & Concrete, NeoCem, FEAD - European Waste Management Association, and the CO₂ Performance Ladder Performance Ladder explain why Europe must stop squandering the power of its purse, and how smarter, more strategic procurement can strengthen competitiveness while cutting emissions. 👉 Read the full op-ed: https://lnkd.in/dn3MVyTX  Liesbeth Casier Joren Verschaeve Gijs Termeer Paolo Campanella Christophe Deboffe

🌱 How can trade policy help build climate resilience in Viet Nam? #ClimateChange is reshaping global trade - from shifting production and consumption patterns to triggering trade shocks caused by extreme weather events. ⚡🌐 But effective #Trade policies can play a key role in strengthening climate adaptation. Viet Nam is particularly vulnerable to climate risks, such as storms, droughts, and rising sea levels - all of which threaten vital sectors, particularly agriculture. 🌾 By improving access to adaptation goods and services, including needed technologies, trade policy can help farmers, businesses, and communities respond to climate change and sustain their livelihoods. 🔗 Learn more about how trade policy can support climate resilience: https://lnkd.in/ekiQrncc     Explore Viet Nam’s climate and trade landscape below 👇 NAP Global Network | Alice Tipping | Katharina Schmidt | Anne Hammill | Ieva Baršauskaitė | Facundo Calvo

🗓️ With COP30 in the books and talk of stronger global action on deforestation, how can value chain actors stay ahead? Our final SSI webinar of the year will explore how voluntary standards and private-sector tools support deforestation-free, resilient supply chains. The session will also: ➡️ Launch our upcoming Sustainable and Resilient Value Chains report on deforestation ➡️ Translate key findings into practical, actionable steps for standards bodies, companies, and policy-makers ➡️ Showcase how a smart mix of tools can help actors prevent, respond to, recover from, and adapt to deforestation risk Register now: https://lnkd.in/euUDTX_X Catarina Vieira | Cristina Larrea, MA | Débora Dias | Hermogene N. | María Florencia Sarmiento | James Lael-Allotey | Julia Ocampo| Rupal Verma

Yesterday I had the pleasure of moderating a thematic session of the #WTO Dialogue on Sustainable Agriculture, focused on the linkages between #agriculturaltrade and #sustainabledevelopment. A warm thank you to the Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft BLW (Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture) and the Permanent Mission of #Switzerland to the WTO for bringing this session together, and to our two outstanding speakers: Lee Ann Jackson, former Head of the Agro-Food and Trade Division at the OECD - OCDE, and Jan Grenz, Professor of Sustainability at the Berner Fachhochschule BFH. Their insights made for a rich discussion. Some key messages that stood out: 🧪 Science matters: science-based tools are essential for assessing sustainability outcomes in agriculture and for grounding policy discussions in evidence. ❗ No single pathway to sustainability: as Lee Ann and Jan reminded us, "one size does not fit all". Countries will follow different trajectories based on their contexts, capabilities, and priorities - while still benefiting from good practices where they exist. 🤝 Cooperation in diversity: science-based tools, along with frameworks that promote transparency and information exchange, can enable cooperation while respecting diverse approaches to sustainability. Reflecting on the discussion, I encouraged WTO members to consider how trade (and the World Trade Organization in particular) can be leveraged to support sustainable agriculture - an agenda that the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) actively supports. Yesterday’s session showed that agricultural trade can play a constructive role in advancing sustainability, while highlighting opportunities for sharing experiences, tools, and lessons learned. Whether through existing platforms, information exchange, or simply providing a space for dialogue, there is real potential for the WTO to promote #sustainableagriculture. I look forward to seeing how WTO members take this conversation forward. #trade #tradepolicy #wto #sustainable #agriculture

🐟 Last week, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, together with the Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, hosted a validation workshop in Suva to review the results of a self-assessment to support Fiji’s preparation for implementing the World Trade Organization Agreement on #FisheriesSubsidies. The workshop brought together senior officials from key Fijian government ministries and agencies to discuss the findings, agree on final adjustments, and plan next steps for domestic implementation of the agreement. IISD policy advisor, María Florencia Sarmiento provided an overview of the agreement’s key disciplines, introduced IISD’s self-assessment tool as well as shared updates on ongoing negotiations of additional rules and outlined next steps. 🔗 Learn more about the workshop: https://lnkd.in/eXXdYe62 🛠️ Explore IISD’s self-assessment tool: https://lnkd.in/dumRga7q  Alice Tipping | Tristan Irschlinger | Raijieli Taga | Jennifer Lalonde | Global Affairs Canada | Affaires mondiales Canada | Tracey Epps | Deepika Singh | Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises | Cowater International

Our State of Sustainability Initiatives team headed to New Delhi for a conference hosted by the Centre for Responsible Business, where we launched our co-authored case study on India’s new greenwashing guidelines. These new rules mark an important step toward creating an enabling environment for responsible business practices, strengthening consumer trust, and helping Indian companies meet growing transparency and sustainability expectations across domestic and global value chains. By requiring companies to substantiate their environmental claims, these guidelines promote a transparent and reliable marketplace, ensuring business can align with international transparency and sustainability requirements and access opportunities in rules-based global trade. The launch brought together representatives from across Indian civil society, including Hindustan Unilever (HUL), SPJIMR SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, and the Confederation of Indian Industry. A big thank you to everyone who shared their insights and perspectives. You can read the full case study here: https://lnkd.in/eKeXAN_C Rupal Verma | Dr. Nimish Shah | Shikhar Jain |  Janhavi Raut | Dinesh Chand Sharma | Dr Sukriti Sekhri

🌍 The third negotiating round toward a #UNTaxConvention just concluded in #Nairobi. Delegates worked through draft articles of the Framework Convention and examined two early Protocols on taxing cross-border services and preventing tax disputes. 🔍 Countries debated what count as harmful tax practices, how to define cross-border disputes, and whether domestic cases should be included. They also held initial discussions on illicit financial flows, tax evasion and avoidance, and high-net-worth individuals. 💸 On the taxation of cross-border services, countries discussed determining where value is created and which jurisdictions can claim taxing rights, with several delegations warning that current rules disproportionately favor residence countries over those where economic activity occurs. ⚖️ On dispute prevention & resolution, support is building for non-binding mechanisms that complement existing bilateral and multilateral arrangements. Many countries emphasized that any new system should not override existing tax treaties or forums. Arbitration remains contentious, with some countries raising concerns cost, accessibility and perceived inequities. 💼 The need for more transparency, information exchange, and for capacity building also featured prominently across interventions. Read the coverage of the two-week session & final report by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin 👉 https://lnkd.in/e7GYYg5W Follow the page by International Institute for Sustainable Development for updates, analysis, and guidance 👉 https://lnkd.in/gGZ7hBAD 📷: IISD/ENB | Danny Skilton

💡 One thing is clear after COP30 Brazil: #Trade plays a key role in #Climate action. Two issues that dominated the discussions are Border Carbon Adjustments and #Deforestation. 🔹 #BCAs were a hot topic, as more countries consider adopting these measures. But their success hinges on careful design, phased implementation, and effective international cooperation – a discussion that continued throughout the two weeks. 🔹 Deforestation-linked trade regulations were also in focus. While discussions in #Belem put deforestation issues at the forefront of the agenda, there was no clarity on how to make these measures inclusive to ensure no stakeholders are left behind. #COP30 may be over, but the work continues. Greater transparency, stronger support for developing countries, and harmonized frameworks are needed to align global trade policy with climate goals. 🌎 📖 To learn more, read the article by our experts Ieva Baršauskaitė, Antoine Bonnet, and María Florencia Sarmiento: https://lnkd.in/dWByPxZr 📽️ Need a refresher on BCAs? Watch the video from our expert Aaron Cosbey: https://lnkd.in/eT7Tpq_d International Institute for Sustainable Development | Alice Tipping | Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder | Harry Wardana | Chantal Line Carpentier | Matthew L. | Charra Tesfaye Terfassa | Via Azlia Widiyadi | Ellie Belton | Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Indonesia 

🚨 #ICYMI: Webinar recording & slides now available! Earlier this month, we hosted a webinar on the critical role of technical standards in shaping the future of the digital economy, examining what they are, how they are developed, and why they matter for #DigitalTrade policy. Moderated by Alice Tipping, the webinar featured insights from Craig Atkinson, Dr. Hanane Becha, and Cindy Parokkil who examined: 🔹 Diverse approaches to developing digital technical standards 🔹 International processes that shape globally relevant standards 🔹 The role of trade agreements in supporting cooperation Experts also highlighted the challenges developing countries face in engaging in digital standardization and offered practical recommendations for policy-makers seeking to strengthen their participation in this rapidly evolving landscape. 👀 Watch the recording and view the slides here: https://lnkd.in/eXCw9N8g 📝 Want to dive deeper into this topic? Explore the 🆕 policy brief here: https://lnkd.in/eb_S6wzN International Institute for Sustainable Development | Rashmi Jose | Rashid S Kaukab | Lexmerca International Trade | UNECE-UN/CEFACT | ISO - International Organization for Standardization