TESS

Question 1

【TESS / The Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs】

https://tessforum.org/

Answer 1

• Launched in 2021, with partnership of Geneva Graduate Institute and UNEP
• support a trading system that addresses global environmental crises and advances the UN SDGs
  
  • aims to serve the trade, environment and sustainable development communities
  • also aims to support the newly launched process of Structured Discussions on Trade and Environmental Sustainability

Question 2

• ”Trading Services for a Circular Economy” (October 2020)
• IISD / Saara Tamminen, Malena Sell, Tim Forslund, Alice Tipping, Marta Soprana, Christophe Bellmann

Answer 2

• Concluding
  
  • Regulatory Differences Across Jurisdictions Are Problematic
  • Non-Discriminatory Domestic CE Required
  • Enhanced Interoperability of Regulations and Conformity Procedures
• Many services provided by respondents are BtoB, include cleaning services, industrial processes, efficiency upgrades, training, product-testing services
• common policy instruments to promote CE: EPR (take-back requirements), deposit-refund, taxes & subsidies or recycling requirements. These policies are designed and implemented in a non-discriminatory fashion

Question 3

• “Options to Incorporate Circular Economy Provisions in Regional Trade Agreements” (April 2021)
• Christophe Bellmann, Malena Sell

Answer 3

• 2.3 Liberalizing Trade in Goods
  
  • Elimination of Tariff Barriers on Goods Related to the CE
  • Conditioning Market Access on CE Requirements (palm oil from Indonesia)
  • More Flexible Rules of Origin
  • Removing Export Restrictions
• 2.5 Removing Unnecessary TBTs
  
  • harmonization or equivalence of specific CE standards or regulations
  • cooperation on voluntary labelling schemes (e.g. product’s durability, reparability, or recyclability)
• 2.7 Fostering Investment in the CE
• 2.9 Government Procurement