Members of the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) gathered to assess their progress and outline future objectives for the upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). The final high-level plenary meeting of TESSD for the year was marked by reflections on achievements and discussions on forthcoming goals.
Ambassador Ronald Saborío Soto of Costa Rica, a co-convenor of TESSD, expressed satisfaction with the advancements made: "We have worked hard. We collectively advanced our knowledge and our shared understanding. We have learned from our peers, and we have learned from stakeholders."
His counterpart, Ambassador Nadia Theodore of Canada, emphasized the forum's unique role: "TESSD is a unique forum, a unique way to bring together different stakeholders interested in creating this baseline of information which will eventually move into the multilateral setting. Progress is methodical and intentional."
Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie Paugam highlighted TESSD's significance within the World Trade Organization (WTO): "At four years old, TESSD has firmly established itself as an incubating hub within the WTO for generating new ideas and practices on addressing the intersection of trade and environmental challenges." He noted that topics from TESSD's workstreams were echoed at November's COP29 climate change conference in Baku.
Paugam also remarked on TESSD's potential impact: "TESSD has enormous potential to demonstrate that trade policy effectively addresses the global crisis of climate change, biodiversity losses, and pollution."
The Philippines announced its decision to join as a co-sponsor of TESSD during the meeting.
Facilitators from four working groups presented summaries of their 2024 discussions while outlining priorities for 2025. They proposed possible outcomes for MC14 based on contributions at MC13. These groups focused on various themes such as trade-related climate measures (TrCMs), environmental goods and services (EGS), subsidies, and circular economy-circularity.
The Working Group on TrCMs plans to continue focusing on achieving specific climate objectives with attention to developing economies. The EGS group aims to delve deeper into sector-specific issues like renewable energy while considering non-tariff measures. The Subsidies group intends to develop best practices related to agricultural, biodiversity, and industrial subsidies. The Circular Economy-Circularity group will work towards compiling best practices across priority sectors such as electronics and textiles.
A proposal was introduced for a factual publication marking over five years of efforts by TESSD members at MC14. This document aims to consolidate knowledge generated by members for broader reference among policymakers.
High-level panel discussions were held in two sessions during the afternoon. One panel discussed national policy experiences regarding trade sustainability with insights from ambassadors representing Barbados, Chad, Chile, Samoa, Thailand under Carolyn Deere Birkbeck’s moderation. Another panel featured a "fireside chat" focusing on opportunities within WTO committees like CTE moderated by DDG Paugam featuring speakers including Ambassadors Erwin Bollinger (Switzerland), Theodore (Canada), Saborío Soto (Costa Rica).