CDG Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft e.V.’s Post

🌍 How global trade impacts progress towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 🌍 A new Nature Sustainability article co-authored by Stefan Giljum & Stephan Lutter explores the complex relationship between international trade and the SDGs: 💡 International trade can both promote and hinder progress towards sustainability. However, if the Agenda 2030 is to be realized, countries must take into consideration their influence beyond the national borders. 💡 Trade intefragion has led to the outsourcing of environmental and social impacts from industrialized economies to countries of the Global South. Revealing supply-chain impact hotspots is essential for informing strategies to reduce the impacts of trade. Consumption-based indicators provide a useful basis for tracking a country’s impacts across borders. 📈 Data from 1990 to 2018 shows equalizing trends (reduction of disparities) for the SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). For the remaining SDGs, a polarizing trend can be observed, where international trade improved the SDG performance of selected countries (for example, high-income countries) and deteriorates that of other countries (for example, low-income countries). Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dpkdskDN

The role of international trade in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals is complex and affects multiple factors differently depending on the development context of each country. In the October issue of Nature Sustainability, we feature an analysis of such historic trends, showing how global trade can either promote or hinder progress towards the SDGs. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dgK3J9Cx

International trade patterns can either promote or hinder progress towards the SDGs. Results show that, over 1990-2018, developed countries have outsourced environmentally and socially detrimental production to developing countries, and for some social and environmental indicators the divide has worsened over time, with the gap between countries that outsource and countries that undertake adverse production widening. https://bit.ly/4dvENaO

📚📚New publication📚📚 Excited to be part of this vital work! 🚨 Our new paper in Nature Sustainability uncovers two alarming trends: 1️⃣ How the Global North fuels inequality in global trade 2️⃣ How disparities threaten UN SDGs Dive in here: https://lnkd.in/gJkfbRCB

Rising Sustainability Pressures in China: Policy and Investment Urgency https://lnkd.in/gZHea2ni #PalmOilMagazine #PalmOil #PalmOilPlantation #Commodity #Sustainability #China

📣 I’m excited to share our recently published policy brief for T20 Brasil 2024, titled "Advancing Fair and Sustainable Trade: Strategies for G20 Action in the Wake of Environmental Regulations", prepared for Task Force 4: "Trade and Investment for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth." It was a pleasure collaborating with such an incredible team of researchers 🤝 —María Victoria Arias Mahiques, Marcello De Maria, Leonardo Park, Angeles Sancisi, Sabine Papendieck, Valeria Piñeiro, Susan Elizabeth Martins Cesar de Oliveira, Nelson Illescas, Louise Nakagawa, and Thiago Kanashiro Uehara— bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise from Argentina, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States 🗺 . In this policy brief, we explore the implications of the new due diligence regulations aimed at discouraging overseas deforestation 🌳, such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Developing countries (DCs), least developed countries (LDCs), and small non-EU suppliers are at risk of being excluded from global value chains 🚢, not because they have engaged in deforestation, but because they face struggles demonstrating compliance with the strict regulations ⚠️. The brief highlights these challenges and proposes actionable steps for the G20. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, we recommend three critical areas for G20 action 🛠️: 1. Participatory Governance 2. Capacity Building 3. Economic Incentives You can access the policy brief here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dw6vdR4A The T20 is a G20 engagement group that brings together think tanks and research centers from G20 members and guest countries and organizations to provide policy recommendations to G20 leaders. I hope our policy brief contributes to influencing global policy through research, while amplifying the voices of the Global South.

Forward together: Making trade work better for the planet. As UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) celebrates its 60th anniversary, it’s crucial to examine issues that will shape the future of trade and development. The "Forward together" series explores pivotal topics for developing countries, such as aligning trade policies with environmental and climate goals. The global production and distribution of goods contribute to about a quarter of all carbon dioxide emissions and to a significant share of biodiversity loss and global pollution. UN estimates show that agricultural expansion alone drives 88% of global deforestation. In 2021, about 17% of global exports were biologically based products, rising to 40% for low-income economies. Global exports of plastics have more than doubled in value since 2005, reaching nearly $1.2 trillion in 2021. The fast-growing digital economy adds to the impact on the environment, increasing waste, energy consumption and emissions. Global e-waste surpassed 53 million metric tons in 2019, and data centers consume 6% to 12% of global energy. Trade remains an underutilized or misused tool in climate action. It can enhance access to energy-efficient goods and the technologies needed for the energy transition and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Aligning trade more with climate and environmental objectives can create new, sustainable opportunities. The stakes are particularly high for developing countries, where environmental degradation and climate change exacerbate poverty and undermine development gains. “We find ourselves at a critical juncture,” UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan says. “As the world is coping with the devastating effects of global warming, it’s time for trade to play its role in shaping climate action that fosters inclusive and sustainable development.” Sustainable trade practices can open new markets, create decent jobs and drive innovation. For instance, transitioning to a circular economy could create over 7 million jobs and add $4.5 trillion in growth by 2030. Promoting sustainability across entire value chains of biodiversity-based goods using UN Trade and Development’s BioTrade principles and criteria and related schemes has increased the sales of companies, associations and projects from $40 million in 2003 to $31 billion in 2022. The ocean economy, worth $3 trillion to $6 trillion, offers vast sustainable opportunities in fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, shipping and marine biotechnology. Full story: https://ow.ly/V8kk50Sg8b0 Join us #UNCTAD60 https://lnkd.in/eHV5meUA

ITC and OECD - OCDE have launched a joint publication, Understanding Sustainability Initiatives: A Typology Framework, a guide for navigating the expanding landscape of sustainability initiatives, on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministerial. Learn more and get the report: http://bit.ly/40l69fY

Ministry of Industrialisation aims to align Namibian industries with EU sustainability standards: Staff Reporter THE Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade will soon collaborate with representatives from the European Union (EU), industry leaders, and local stakeholders to align Namibian industries with EU standards and enhance supply chain transparency. This announcement was made by Lucia Iipumbu, the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, at the Namibia-EU Trade and Sustainability Conference held at Droombos. She explained that the conference’s goal is to encourage discussions on sustainable growth, responsible trade, and stronger cooperation between Namibia and EU partners. “Over the next two days, we will engage in-depth with several key topics on the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EUCSDDD), and the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). These frameworks are not merely regulatory measures; they represent guiding principles that encourage industries to operate responsibly and sustainably, ensuring that the path to economic growth is aligned with environmental protection and social equity,” she explained. Aligning with these regulatory frameworks, she added, presents valuable opportunities for Namibia to strengthen its global economic standing. “The CBAM encourages our industries to adopt low-carbon practices, which not only aligns with our low-carbon economy goals but also enhances the appeal of Namibian exports in environmentally-conscious markets. The EUCSDDD reinforces ethical and transparent practices across supply chains, promoting human rights, environmental protection, and fair labour practices within our industries. The EUDR supports Namibia’s efforts to combat deforestation, helping us protect our ecosystems and maintain market access to the EU by ensuring our forest and agricultural products meet the highest sustainability standards,” she explained. Iipumbu pointed out that while these EU regulations primarily apply to EU industries, they also create opportunities for Namibia to strengthen trade relations and collaborate with European businesses affected by these standards. She emphasised that aligning with these standards will therefore enhance Namibia’s global competitiveness, expand its market access, and align it with international best practices. “This conference is a crucial step on our journey towards sustainable trade and environmental stewardship. Following our discussions, the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade will work closely with our EU partners, industry leaders, and local stakeholders to translate the insights and recommendations gathered here into action. We will focus on aligning with EU standards, investing in skills development, enhancing transparency in supply chains, and ensuring that Namibian industries can demonstrate compliance with international best…

Let's dive into something cool yet critical for developing sustainable supply chains - the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or CBAM. Have you ever wondered how we could make global trade greener? The EU is stepping up with an innovative approach, which we should all get excited about! In a nutshell, CBAM is the EU's bold move to combat climate change by ensuring imports into the EU have the exact carbon costs as goods produced within it. You know how we've been discussing the need to reduce carbon emissions worldwide? CBAM is like the EU's strategy: "Hey, if you want to play ball in our court, you've gotta play by our green rules." The idea is to prevent carbon leakage – that's when companies might move manufacturing outside the EU to avoid strict emissions regulations, which doesn't help the planet at all. Starting in 2023, we're entering a kind of "get to know you" phase where importers to the EU will need to report the greenhouse gas emissions of their goods, but without any fees just yet. Think of it as the EU's saying, "Let's see how much carbon your products are bringing into our home." Fast forward to 2026, and that's when things get real – levies will kick in based on the carbon content of imports like iron, steel, cement, aluminium, fertilizers, and electricity. It's all about ensuring imports don't get a free pass on carbon emissions, levelling the playing field for EU producers already paying carbon costs at home. Countries that export many of these high-carbon goods to the EU are big players like China, Brazil, India and the USA, which might need to rethink their strategies. These countries have significant manufacturing industries that export to the EU, so CBAM could encourage them to green up their operations or face the financial pinch of the new levies. Here's where it gets exciting. Could the EU's CBAM inspire other regions to adopt similar measures? Absolutely! CBAM could become a template for integrating environmental costs into global trade as the world increasingly focuses on sustainable growth and battling climate change. Imagine a world where all major economies adopt a similar mechanism – it could dramatically accelerate our shift towards a greener planet. So, what do you think? Will CBAM be the push we need to make global trade more sustainable? Could other regions follow suit and help make a significant impact on global emissions? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and let's keep the conversation going. 😀 #CarbonFairTrade #ClimateActionEU #GreenBorderPolicy