The transition to an inclusive green economy represents many significant opportunities. By harnessing the increasing global demand for environmental goods and services, as well as consumer demand for more sustainable products, countries can diversify their economies, reduce their commodity dependence and boost their competitiveness.Â
Overview
Syllabus
WelcomeWorld
trade patterns show that while many developing countries are now playing an
increasing role in trade, many other—and particularly least developed countries who account for
less than 1% of all global trade—remain stranded on the margins. Still heavily
reliant on natural resource-based products and raw materials for their exports,
these countries are highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks.
The
transition to an inclusive green economy represents many significant
opportunities. By harnessing the increasing global demand for environmental
goods and services, as well as consumer demand for more sustainable products,
countries can diversify their economies, reduce their commodity dependence and
boost their competitiveness. Thus, societies promote long-term, sustainable development
while also strengthening their capacity to tackle the manifold environmental
challenges lying ahead.
Trade can also power a green economic recovery from COVID-19. Global demand for environmental goods and services is expected to rise as countries roll out economic stimuli with larger earmarks for climate-friendly solutions. While this course was developed prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, its contents therefore remain relevant to current policy discussions.One practical challenge lies in ensuring that countries are both aware of these
opportunities and that they possess the knowledge and skills to take advantage
of them. To address this challenge, the course sets out to provide interested
participants from government, business, and civil society with an introduction
to the various approaches that may be taken to harness green trade
opportunities.If you encounter any difficulty or if you have any questions, please consult our help page.What will you learn?Participants completing the course will be able
to:Outline the evolution of legal and governance
frameworks underpinning the trade and green economy interfaceIdentify perceived challenges and potential
opportunities related to trade in the transition to a green economyDescribe enabling policy conditions to foster
green trade practicesHighlight sectoral case studies of green trade in
actionCourse structure at a glanceThe course aims
to provide participants with a solid understanding of the policy instruments and
enabling conditions needed for countries to advance the green economy
transition via green trade, and vice-versa. It contains four lessons, each
taking approximately 20 minutes to complete:The trade and environment interfacePerceived tensions and synergies between trade
liberalisation and the green economyEnabling conditions and policy design for green
tradeSeizing sectoral opportunities