The chair said the three selected topics for thematic sessions were based on consultations with members, clarifying that the other issues which members raised besides these could also be considered for future discussions. On the first topic of trade-related climate measures, members will further elaborate on the framing of the issue before it is taken up at the thematic session scheduled for 10 October during Trade and Environment Week.

Trade and Environment Week will moreover feature a high-level panel discussion, other events to be organized by interested delegations, and a meeting of the CTE.

Members also considered two new proposals. One is from China on “Advancing Multilateral Discussions on Trade-Related Climate Measures (TrCMs)”, suggesting ideas on how to foster more engagement on this topic with a view to further discussions — for instance, on transparency and understanding of TrCMs and on consistency and inter-operability of different TrCMs. Members expressed their general support and interest in further exploring the proposal.

The second proposal is the African Group's paper on “Policy Space for Industrial Development — Advancing WTO Committee Work to Support Structural Transformation and Industrial Development in Developing Countries”. The African Group said it will formally present a concrete work programme at the General Council meeting in July. India presented again its previous request to initiate discussions on the role of technology transfer for environmental solutions.

Trade and environment initiatives

Several coordinators of the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP) — Australia, Barbados, and Ecuador — briefed the committee on developments from its second pre-plenary meeting held on 13 June. They welcomed the three new co-sponsors — Brazil, Montenegro, and Mozambique — which brings the total DPP membership to 82.

The coordinator of the Fossil Fuels Subsidy Reform Initiative, New Zealand, provided an update on its meeting held on 28 May.

Canada, the co-convenor with Costa Rica of the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), briefed the committee on meetings of its four working groups held on 17-18 June.

Other briefings and next meeting

The committee also heard updates from the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on the INC negotiation process as well as from the WTO Secretariat on climate change related work,. This includes preparations for the WTO's participation at COP29 later this year and on the recently launched Action on Climate and Trade (ACT) initiative. Members particularly welcomed the work on COP29, as well as ACT, a joint World Bank-World Economic Forum-WTO Secretariat initiative launched to foster international cooperation and capacity building activities to help developing economies leverage trade for climate action.

The next CTE meeting is scheduled for 11 October.

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