WTO chief seeks to revive green trade talks
SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 8 (Reuters) – The director general of the World Trade Organization told Reuters she aims to revive negotiations on a global environmental trade deal as part of efforts to give the trade watchdog a bigger role in tackling climate change.
Talks on eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers on goods such as solar panels or smart heating controls that can address climate change are seen as an important step toward reducing the cost of environmental protection.
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However, WTO discussions collapsed in 2016 after disagreements between China and Western countries over which products should be on the environmental list.
“We would like to see the revival of an environmental goods and services agreement,” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told Reuters on the sidelines of the COP27 climate summit on Monday night.
She said the talks should also be expanded to include services. These could include air pollution mitigation or wastewater treatment.
“There is a need to have a favorable trade regime for renewables and other environmentally friendly products,” he said, while noting that tariffs for fossil fuel products are lower than for renewables in many countries.
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The world trade body’s ability to strike multilateral deals has been in doubt after a years-long drought, but the signing of several pacts in June helped restore faith and renew its ambition.
Exploratory discussions on a possible revival of a green trade deal began at the 164-member body, although Okonjo-Iweala said some countries had expressed concerns, without naming them. She suggested starting with a preliminary list of some 50 to 60 products that could be gradually lengthened.
