TradeasanEnvironmentalPolicyToolGEN,Ecolabelling分析.docVIP

Trade as an Environmental Policy Tool? GEN, Ecolabelling and Trade John Polak Chair, Global Ecolabelling Network “Ecolabelling: Trade Opportunities Challenges” World Trade Organization Public Symposium Challenges Ahead on the Road to Cancun June 16-18, 2003 Background Context A broad debate over issues related to environmental labelling (including ecolabelling) and trade, with some particular attention paid to non-product-related (npr) process and production methods (PPMs), has been ongoing for at least eight years. The debate has engaged the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Committee for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and, of course, the World Trade Organization (WTO). The Doha Declaration in 2001 put some focus on the discussions when Trade Ministers directed the WTOs Committee on Trade and the Environment (CTE) to undertake further work in defining the issues and making recommendations for moving forward. Further, the August 2003 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) created a more positive policy environment from which environmental labelling may be considered. During the WSSD, a number of implementation plans were discussed, including one on the subject of changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, within which, “…effective, transparent, verifiable, non-misleading and non-discriminatory consumer information tools…” such as environmental performance leadership labels (ecolabels), were promoted. As well, there has been an apparent significant shift, since the WSSD, in international attitudes regarding such labelling away from the historical trade issue/nuisance view to one of “useful sustainable development tool”, and that there is now an opportunity to advance environmental labelling internationally. 1.2 Types of Voluntary Environmental Product Labelling While the environmental labelling and trade debate has been g