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ENERGY CONFERENCE CONSIDERS TRADE ISSUES
ENERGY CONFERENCE CONSIDERS TRADE ISSUES A recent conference among major players in the realm of energy has called on the global trading system to support the stability and fairness of energy trade. Gerald Doucet, Secretary General of the World Energy Congress, suggested that the WTO should "open a new chapter" of energy negotiations, looking in particular…
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FARMERS' RIGHTS, FUNDING DISCUSSED AT SEED TREATY MEETING
FARMERS’ RIGHTS, FUNDING DISCUSSED AT SEED TREATY MEETING A recent meeting on the preservation and exchange of agricultural seeds saw divisive discussions on farmers’ rights and funding issues that underpin the implementation of a relatively new treaty on the topic. The second meeting of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food…
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BRAZIL PERU DISCUSS NEW IDEAS ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS LIBERALISATION
BRAZIL PERU DISCUSS NEW IDEAS ON ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS LIBERALISATION Negotiations on expedited liberalisation for environmental goods and services were front and centre at last week’s meeting of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment-special session (CTE-SS). The US, the EU, and others rebuffed Brazil’s recent calls to classify biofuels as an environmental good qualifying for deep…
- In Brief
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Study: Marine Shipping Highly Polluting
For the first time, a study has linked pollution-related illness and mortality to emissions of seafaring vessels. Approximately 60,000 lung- and heart-related deaths in 2002 were linked to the pollution and chemicals emitted by large shipping freighters in a study by the University of Delaware. According to the researchers, these deaths were due to the poor…
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Greenpeace: Palm Oil Expansion A Pending Climate Catastrophe
A Greenpeace report claims that global demand for palm oil is lighting the fuse of a “climate bomb” in the peat lands of Indonesia. The slash-and-burn tactics of palm oil farmers is releasing 1.8 billion tonnes of CO2 per annum from the carbon rich soils of Indonesia’s swamps. The 22 million hectares of peat soils of…
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EU, Switzerland Distant from Other Members in WTO-MEA Talks
Differences persist among WTO Members on the content of a potential text that could serve as the basis for future negotiations on the relationship between WTO rules and specific trade obligations (STOs) set out in multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). Discussions on 2 November in the Committee for Trade and Environment - Special Session (CTE-SS) on an…
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Tropical Timber Organisation Waiting for New Agreement to Enter Into Force
Delegates at the forty-third session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-43), held from 5-10 November 2007 in Yokohama, Japan, discussed issues concerning operational, project and policy work for 2008-2009. Most notably, they discussed the Biennial Work Programme 2008-2009, which was adopted, and the preparations for entry into force of the new governing treaty, the…
- Events
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Events
For a more comprehensive list of events in trade and sustainable development, please refer to ICTSD’s web calendar, http://www.trade-environment.org/page/calendar.htm. Coming up in the next two weeks 9 November, Geneva, Switzerland: STOCKHOLM CONVENTION POPRC-3. The third meeting of the Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention. Internet: http://www.pops.int…
- Resources
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Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the Bridges staff to Malena Sell at msell@ictsd.ch. THE IMPLICATIONS OF PRIVATE-SECTOR STANDARDS FOR GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES EXPLORING OPTIONS TO FACILITATE MARKET ACCESS FOR DEVELOPING-COUNTRY EXPORTERS OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES:…