On 04 November 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) advised that at the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) meeting, World Trade Organization (WTO) members had discussed proposals to foster more transparency and cooperation amid various carbon emission policies that may impact the flow of trade. Members also heard a report on the CTE sustainable agriculture thematic session held earlier this week.
The People’s Republic of China introduced its new proposal to strengthen discussions and cooperation on carbon standards, noting that an increasing number of new requirements are emerging that will have a bearing on both trade and climate change. China said the proposal, which aims to build on existing efforts across WTO bodies, offers suggestions in three areas: conducting a systematic review of carbon standards and enhancing information sharing within the WTO and its relevant bodies and with other international organisations; strengthening discussions and cooperation on carbon standards; and addressing challenges faced by developing members.
Over 20 members took the floor, including those who spoke on behalf of groups of members. Many welcomed the focus on addressing fragmentation risks; several emphasised the need to align the CTE’s work with existing efforts of other WTO bodies (especially the WTO’s Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee) and other organisations to avoid duplication of work and to ensure that discussions consider the varying capabilities of developing members.
Japan updated members on its revised proposal for methodologies to measure embedded carbon emissions, announcing that there were now eight co-sponsors: Australia, Chile, Costa Rica, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and the United Kingdom (UK). Japan emphasised that its proposed non-binding guidance focused on regulatory coherence and would not entail new obligations on members. It added that it welcomed members’ engagement to address gaps or any remaining concerns and to advance the discussions by focusing on transparency in the coming months before moving on to other aspects of its proposal.
Thirty (30) members, including those speaking on behalf of groups, provided comments on Japan’s proposal. Many supported its focus on transparency. Some noted that the effort should not extend to providing specific guidance, even if non-binding. Several members reiterated the need to consider the development dimension in any work undertaken in this area.
Members showed appreciation for the format, structure, and in-depth discussions at the 16 October 2025 “interactive session,” which demonstrated their collective interest in facilitating trade amid diverse carbon emissions measures and measurement methodologies. The CTE chair of Switzerland noted members’ positive feedback on the session and their preference to focus on transparency and the development dimension at the next interactive session, scheduled for December 2025.
Members once again briefly discussed the Russian Federation’s submission on potential trade implications arising from any future global treaty on plastics pollution.
Thematic session on sustainable agriculture
On 3 November, members participated in the CTE’s 6th thematic session, which focused on sustainable agriculture. The thematic session, co-moderated by Barbados and the UK, comprised 14 presentations on how trade can contribute to sustainable agriculture, drawing on national, regional and institutional perspectives.
Following a scene-setting plenary, a session focused on how innovation, technologies, and institutional arrangements could support the transition to a more sustainable and resilient agricultural sector. This was followed by a session that explored how trade policies and cooperation can facilitate sustainable and resilient agriculture while ensuring inclusivity. A final session, a members-only discussion, provided delegations with an opportunity to share further experiences and recommendations.
The programme and video recording are accessible at:
https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/agric_e/agri_0311202510_e/agri_0311202510_e.htm
Other items
At the CTE meeting, members heard updates on preparations for the upcoming 2025 Climate Change Conference (COP30) from the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the WTO Secretariat. The COP30 Presidency (Brazil) joined online to introduce a communication that Brazil had submitted, together with Australia, outlining its plans to launch the Integrated Forum on Climate Change and Trade at COP30 in Belém later this week.
The WTO Secretariat presented 2024 data from the WTO Environmental Database, which covers 1,637 environment-related measures drawn from 792 notifications.
Members were briefed on developments regarding the 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.
Next meeting
The next committee meeting will be in February 2026.