Media Alert:
POLICY MAKERS & EXPERTS GATHER TO DEBATE HOW SUSTAINABLE TRADE CAN BOOST CLIMATE ACTION
WHAT: Sustainable Trade and Voluntary Sustainability Standards Dialogue
WHEN: 26 October 2022, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. CEST
WHERE: Press Club Brussels Europe
A panel of policy makers and experts will gather in Brussels on 26 October for a dialogue on how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and sustainable trade can help tackle the climate crisis.
VSS are private standards that require products to meet specific economic, social and environmental sustainability metrics. The requirements can refer to product quality or attributes, but also to production and processing methods, as well as transportation. If implemented effectively, these standards can boost efforts to mitigate environmental crises, enhance social and economic sustainability in terms of food security, improve livelihoods, create jobs and alleviate poverty.
In the effort to foster sustainable trade, supply chains worldwide are increasingly placing VSS at the center of their corporate responsibility, and sustainability provisions are becoming more prominent in trade agreements. However, more ambitious transformations are still needed to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals that emphasizes ‘leaving no one behind’.
The event is organized by the UN Forum on Sustainability Standards (UNFSS), a joint initiative of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the UN Food and Agriculture organization (FAO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Experts at the event, which will take place in the run-up to the 27th UN Climate Conference (COP27) slated for 6 to 18 November, will take stock of global efforts towards promoting VSS and sustainable trade, and discuss the actions required to intensify the fight against climate change.
Discussions at the event will feed into COP27 talks on how countries can foster sustainable trade, including using innovative tools, to meet their pledges and commitments on climate action, while achieving their development goals.
During the event, the 5th UNFSS Flagship Report entitled “Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS), Sustainability Agenda and Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges” will be launched for the public.
The report lays out the multiple roles of VSS in advancing the sustainability agenda in developing countries and assesses the opportunities and challenges associated with VSS uptake.
Register: https://unfss.org/sustainable-trade-and-vss-dialogue/
Contact us: unfss@unctad.org