Leveraging Green trade policies for Sustainability and climate adaptation and mitigation

Course Description

The course focuses on fostering green trade and trade policy priorities for sustainable supply chain and environmental management. Environmental challenges are driving a re-think of the production and supply chain. Sustainability has taken centre stage of the mainstream attention and while trade and climate topics are increasingly intersecting. Trade is not without environmental challenges which has increased the need for standards and their market access implication. There is therefore a need to identify practical ways trade can support the transition to a greener global economy. Focus should now be on shifting towards aligning trade and investment with Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts must now be made to ensure that international trade supports environmental action, alongside continued growth. The course discusses how to use trade facilitation mechanisms to support environmental goals and outlines how trade rules could be further deployed for a greener global economy to respond to the public and private-sector leaders’ increased interest in how trade policy can deliver on global challenges. The course will reinforce that it is incumbent on trade policymakers, implementation arms and advocacy groups to show policies can be compatible with sustainable development and with efforts to protect and preserve the environment. 

Objectives of the course

• Appraise participants of the sustainability agenda in the international trading system and what is the path forward for furthering sustainability in trade policy
• Ensure understanding of the possible impacts of climate change on international trade and investment
• Describe Climate change’s profound impacts on the comparative advantage of certain sectors- agriculture, tourism, mining and some vulnerable manufacturing sectors
• Discuss approaches to mainstreaming environmental concerns into trade agreements negotiations
• Identify and recommend trade-facilitating measures, procedures and processes for reducing GHG emissions.
• Exhibit the ability to apply the content and theories learned in the real-life environment for economic development, improvement of environmental sustainability and facilitation of trade.
• Suggest trade policy provisions for encouraging environmentally preferred products and climate-smart goods.
• Propose other trade-related mechanisms to support the climate-neutral adaptation priorities

Content

1. Trade and sustainable development goal
2. New green trade initiatives,
3. Role of WTO and multilateral trade rules for Sustainability
4. Negotiating trade regulations to transition the world to a low-carbon future
5. Trade liberalization and environmental protection
6. Trade policies for the environment
   1. Trade facilitation for environmental goods- (Transparency, consolation, dialogue, collaboration, AEO, risk management, Etc)
   2. Tariff elimination for environmentally friendly goods – environmentally preferred products EPP
   3. Eliminate subsidies on environmentally damaging like fossil fuels
7. other trade-related mechanisms to support the climate-neutral adaptation priorities – green government procurement etc. 

Target

The programme is targeted at government departments and civic organisations that are responsible for policy advocacy, policy making and implementation and who need to upskill themselves in the need for climate-neutral trade policies and regulatory framework to prepare for the new realities of the need for policies to make them the frontrunners in the global transition to climate neutrality. The course also acquaints border regulatory agencies with current green trade facilitation and International green trade rules and regulations which may be tailor-made and demand-driven to suit the needs of participants.

Duration
1 Week

Venues

a.) Venue 1: Online
Date: 5 – 16 August 2024

b.) Venue 2: Arusha
Date: 14 – 18 August 2023

Course Fees
$1,250