Members heard an update from co-sponsors on a joint submission, titled “Non-binding Guidance on Measures Requiring Measurement of Emissions of Goods Traded Across Borders”, submitted by Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the United Kingdom (UK).
Co-sponsors emphasised the importance of enhancing transparency and fostering a shared understanding of good practices and methodologies for measuring embedded carbon emissions in traded goods.
Voluntary information sharing on trade and climate measures
The United Kingdom shared information on its “UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (UK CBAM): Monitoring, Reporting and Verification”. The UK CBAM is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2027.
The information was shared voluntarily using the standardised template in the document. At the June CTE meeting, Japan and Australia became the first two members to use the template to share information on their domestic trade-related climate measures (TrCMs).
Members welcomed the UK’s submission as a practical way to enhance transparency in the committee. Many sought clarification or further information while others expressed concerns about the measure’s potential impact on market access and the compliance burdens it could impose on developing and least-developed countries, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Colombia also provided an oral update on its own measure.
Updates and other items
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat briefed members on preparations for the upcoming Climate Change Conference (COP31), to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November 2026. The COP31 Presidency (Türkiye) also updated members on conference plans, including a Finance and Trade Day scheduled for 13 November 2026. The WTO Secretariat reported on its preparations and participation at COP31.
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) presented recent developments and preparations for the CBD’s 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17), to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, in October 2026. Armenia’s delegation, as host of COP17, supplemented this briefing by highlighting its priorities and seeking members’ active engagement at COP17.
The Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) briefed members on recent developments and main outcomes from the CITES’ 20th Conference of the Parties (COP20), which was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 24 November 2025 to 5 December 2025.
The co-sponsors of the member-led Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade (DPP), the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD), and the Fossil Fuels Subsidy Reform (FFSR) initiative briefed the CTE on their recent activities and planned work.
The WTO Secretariat also presented an update on the WTO Environmental Database (EDB).
Next meeting
The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for 04 to 05 February 2027.